Kolkata: Kolkata is poised to be part of a global Strong Cities Network (SCN) to prevent violent extremism and help evolve peaceful communities in the city.

“We have a list of around 15 cities in Southeast Asia that can be part of this global network. Half of them are in India,” Edward Jackson, who co-manages SCN, said on the sidelines of SCN’s South Asia Regional Practitioners Workshop here, the first such event in India. Significantly, Mumbai is India’s only SCN city.

Launched at the United Nations General Assembly in September 2015, SCN is the only global network of mayors, municipal-level policymakers, political actors and practitioners united in building social cohesion and community resilience to counter violent extremism in all its forms. It aims to develop a preventive mechanism against violent extremism — including riots, road rage, communal tension, terrorism and insurgent activities. It gained relevance when youths from cities were found to have joined international radical groups to unleash large-scale violence.

“These challenges cannot be faced and handled by law enforcement alone. The issue that unites us here today is the goal of maintaining strong cities that are resilient to threats posed by violent extremism,” said Jackson.

What would be Kolkata’s advantage if it is included in the SCN of 122 cities? The city can be part of a very active network where some of the biggest security experts — former extremists — will share their experiences. The Kolkata Municipal Corporation has been chosen as the nodal agency that reaches out to the grassroots through its numerous services.

“The reformed extremists are empowered to push back against the extremist narrative and prevent recruitment of at-risk youths. SCN works closely with Facebook, Google and Microsoft to stop propaganda and rumours. This will help us a lot,” said a senior KMC official.

The workshop is led by Institute for Strategic Dialogue’s SCN. The event was inaugurated by Craig Hall, the US consul general in Kolkata. “The US and India are strategic partners in the fight against violent extremism in South Asia. As far as Kolkata is concerned, we are overwhelmed by the enthusiasm shown by both the state government and city government (KMC) in this regard. I hope Kolkata will soon be part of this network,” he said.

