Syllabus: Role of external state and non-state actors in creating challenges to internal security.
Context: J&K LG Manoj Sinha alleged ‘overground workers’ (militant supporters) appointed to government jobs while genuine terror victims hounded in UT in past; 39 terror victims’ families given appointment letters.
Who are OGWs?
- Over Ground Workers (OGWs) provide logistical, financial, and intelligence support to militants.
- They assist in covert movement, shelter, communication, and survival of terrorist operatives.
- OGWs act as a critical link between terrorists and local populations, avoiding direct violence.
Role Played by OGWs in Terrorist Organisations
- Recruitment: Mobilise and recruit local youth, including coerced and indoctrinated recruitment.
- Funding: Facilitate finances through hawala networks, counterfeit currency, illegal trade, and tax evasion.
- Coordination: Liaise with secessionist leaders, organised crime syndicates, and cross-border handlers.
- Logistics: Provide safe houses, transport routes, intelligence, and local reconnaissance.
- Legitimisation: Spread propaganda, radical narratives, and exploit local grievances for support.
Measures to Neutralise OGWs’ Influence
- Social Rehabilitation: Welfare of orphans, women, and vulnerable groups to reduce radicalisation.
- Operation Sadbhavana: Goodwill and development initiatives to rebuild trust with local communities.
- Intelligence Strengthening: Enhanced surveillance and tracking of radicalisation networks.
- Judicial Measures: Fast-track courts for speedy prosecution of terrorists and OGWs.
- Holistic Approach: Combining security, welfare, intelligence, and legal action to dismantle OGW networks.