Love Jihad: Kerala's Dawa Squads that converted 100s of Hindu girls

India

oi-Vicky

By Vicky

The National Investigation Agency is set to crack down on the Dawa Squads in Kerala which indulge in systematic conversions as part of Love Jihad. Under the scanner of the NIA are 98 conversions that have taken place in the past year.

NIA officials say that the threat of Love Jihad is real in Kerala and it has become a menace. The NIA has been recording the statements of many persons who have testified that they were lured, trapped and forced to convert.

The NIA says that a special squad known as the Dawa Squad has been formed for this purpose. It comprises several layers which begin at the college level. The job of the Dawa Squad is to ensure that a woman is trapped, converted and then married off.

It is a systematic trap that is set. The NIA team in Kerala has been taking the accounts of several persons who narrate their trauma. In most cases, it has been found that the conversion in the first place is a trap.

There are four steps that are involved while setting the trap. First they identify the lady who has troubled relations with their parents. Then they speak about the benefits of being part of Islam and brainwash them into believing that there is more freedom and peace.

The third step is to take them to a conversion centre and ensure that the girl lives in some hostel and does not go home. When the girl fails to go home, the obvious missing complaint is filed by the parents. The girl is obviously tense with the complaint and that is when the final step comes in. They tell the girl that the only way out of the mess is to get married.

NIA officers tell OneIndia that this has been noticed in each of the cases. Very few cases are voluntary in nature, the officer adds. As the probe went on, more such cases came up before us, the officer said.

When one looks at the four step process, prima facie there appears to be no illegality committed. The Constitution only bars forced conversions. It would take a lot for the NIA to piece together the evidence. The agency is however confident and the accounts of the women who have spoken to the agency would provide a solid foundation to the case.

The next step would be to piece together a case to show that these are not one off events, but a sustained ploy to lure, dupe and trap vulnerable women into Love Jihad. NIA officials say that there is a sustained effort in Kerala to trap such women. The idea is to shake the social fabric of society. It is also aimed at creating a communal divide and this is very evident in Kerala, the officer also adds.

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