UPSC Mains Answer: The banning of 'Jamaat-e-lslami' in Jammu and Kashmir brought into focus the role of over-ground workers (OGWs) in assisting terrorist organizations. Examine the role played by OGWs in assisting terrorist organizations in insurgency affected areas. Discuss measures to neutralize i

Difficulty Level: Hard

Sub-category: Internal Security (Post-Independence)

Introduction

The banning of Jamaat-e-Islami in Jammu and Kashmir underscored the critical yet often overlooked role of Over-Ground Workers (OGWs) in sustaining terrorist organizations. OGWs act as the invisible backbone, providing logistical, financial, and ideological support to insurgents, thereby prolonging conflict in affected regions.

Body

Role of OGWs:
OGWs facilitate recruitment by radicalizing youth through propaganda and misinformation, exploiting socio-economic grievances.
They provide safe havens, intelligence, and supplies (food, medicine, weapons) to terrorists, enabling their survival in hostile environments., "Financial networks managed by OGWs fund terrorist operations, often through hawala transactions or extortion (e.g., taxation in Kashmir).", OGWs act as intermediaries between terrorists and local populations, ensuring community compliance through coercion or ideological alignment.

Measures to Neutralize OGWs

Strengthen intelligence-gathering via local informants and technological surveillance (e.g., monitoring digital communications).
Disrupt financial networks by freezing assets, tracking hawala channels, and penalizing facilitators under anti-terror laws (e.g., UAPA).
Community engagement programs to counter radicalization, such as deradicalization workshops and economic incentives for youth.
Legal and administrative actions, including banning organizations linked to OGWs (e.g., Jamaat-e-Islami) and prosecuting collaborators under stringent laws.

Conclusion

Neutralizing OGWs requires a multi-pronged approach combining intelligence, legal action, and socio-economic interventions. Addressing the root causes of radicalization while dismantling their support structures is essential to curbing insurgency and restoring peace in affected areas.