Dr. Gagan Bhagat
Terrorism is commonly linked to grim realities such as grinding poverty, widespread illiteracy, and deep-seated social exclusion. Yet, a growing array of compelling cases from diverse nations powerfully dismantles this oversimplified narrative. Among the most chilling and thought-provoking recent developments is the shocking involvement of highly trained medical professionals from Al-Falah University in a sinister terrorist conspiracy. This alarming episode compels us to confront a stark, politically impartial question that demands serious reflection: why do remarkably accomplished individuals-armed with prestigious advanced degrees and holding positions of genuine respect and authority-occasionally gravitate toward ruthless violence?
The root cause transcends simplistic explanations centered on rigid ideology or the mere possession of education. Instead, it emerges from a complex, often toxic interplay between soaring personal ambitions, fragile senses of identity, flawed institutional frameworks, and elusive opportunities for fulfilment.
Higher education ignites powerful aspirations and elevates expectations to new heights. Professional qualifications-especially in demanding fields like medicine-hold the tantalizing promise of elevated social status, financial security, enduring stability, and widespread admiration. When these grand expectations slam into harsh barriers such as stagnant career advancement, bureaucratic inefficiencies, systemic corruption, or unexpected personal reversals, the ensuing disillusionment can prove far more devastating and rage-inducing than for those who never dared to dream so ambitiously. Extensive research into pathways of radicalization consistently underscores a crucial insight: it is perceived relative deprivation-the bitter sting of falling short compared to one’s rightful expectations-rather than absolute destitution, that frequently fuels extremist leanings. A highly educated professional who feels systematically obstructed is far more inclined to reinterpret personal failures and frustrations as profound systemic injustices demanding drastic redress.
Moreover, academic achievement rarely quenches the deep human yearning for genuine belonging, purpose, and community. Universities masterfully equip students with cutting-edge skills and technical expertise, yet they often struggle to nurture meaningful social bonds, emotional resilience, or a profound sense of existential meaning. Young professionals-relocated far from family roots, cultural anchors, or familiar support networks-can descend into profound isolation and alienation. In these vulnerable moments, highly cohesive ideological circles-whether rooted in radical religious interpretations, fervent political visions, or other absolutist worldviews-step in to provide irresistible allure: unshakeable certainty, unbreakable solidarity, and an electrifying sense of transcendent purpose. What begins as private anguish transforms into a galvanizing collective crusade.
Perhaps most disturbingly, advanced education sharpens intellectual precision and analytical prowess without invariably instilling corresponding ethical restraint or moral caution. The formidable tools honed through rigorous study-mastery of sophisticated argumentation, capacity for abstract reasoning, systems-level thinking, and logical dissection-can be wielded either to dismantle justifications for violence or, conversely, to construct chillingly persuasive rationales for it. Extremist networks excel at crafting elegant, internally coherent narratives that recast brutality as morally imperative, defensively necessary, or even redemptively heroic. An intellectually gifted recruit, far from being hindered by ignorance, may possess the very cognitive sophistication needed to fully embrace and operationalize such seductive logic-channelling raw moral fury into meticulously planned, cold-blooded action. This phenomenon reflects not a deficit of knowledge, but the calculated perversion of formidable intellect.
From the perspective of terrorist organizations themselves, educated professionals represent extraordinarily high-value assets. Like any sophisticated, high-stakes enterprise, extremist groups require seamless logistics, sophisticated financial orchestration, cutting-edge technical capabilities, and credible public legitimacy. Physicians, engineers, scientists, and academics deliver these scarce resources in abundance. Their participation radiates an aura of gravitas, competence, and professionalism-reassuring wavering recruits, inspiring donors, and projecting an image of unstoppable seriousness. This recurring pattern of “white-collar” involvement extends far beyond South Asia; it has been starkly evident across Europe, the Middle East, and elsewhere, where radical factions deliberately prioritize the recruitment of skilled professionals.
Institutional safeguards and oversight play a pivotal-yet often neglected-role. Academic institutions and professional regulatory bodies are not, and should not be expected to function as, full-fledged security apparatuses. Nevertheless, pervasive lapses in governance-such as inadequate background vetting, superficial hiring protocols, absent psychological support systems, and minimal proactive mentoring-create dangerous blind spots and fertile ground for undetected radicalization. When universities fixate narrowly on churning out credentials while side-lining holistic ethical training, civic education, student mental health, and character development, subtle early warning signs of ideological drift can easily slip through the cracks. This represents less a deliberate failure of malice than a profound shortfall in institutional design and foresight.
The wider political and social landscape provides the final, critical layer of context. In environments where citizens genuinely believe that legitimate mechanisms for voicing grievances, seeking justice, participating meaningfully in governance, or driving peaceful reform have become hopelessly ineffective or corrupted, despair can breed radical conclusions. A subset may tragically conclude-however erroneously-that extraordinary, violent measures represent the sole remaining path to agency and change. Paradoxically, higher education can intensify this dangerous perception: it teaches individuals precisely how just, functional systems are supposed to operate, thereby magnifying outrage when reality falls disastrously short.
The profound lesson emerging from the Al-Falah University case is emphatically not that education inherently breeds terrorism or extremism. Quite the reverse: robust, widespread education remains one of the most potent, enduring bulwarks against violence and radical ideologies over the long term. Yet education, standing alone, is undeniably incomplete and insufficient. True protection demands that intellectual mastery be deliberately intertwined with rigorous ethical cultivation, compassionate professional mentorship, robust mental health support, and verifiable, merit-based pathways for meaningful advancement and societal contribution.
Institutions entrusted with shaping tomorrow’s doctors, engineers, scientists, and civic leaders must rise above the narrow role of mere credential factories. They should boldly embrace their higher calling as vibrant civic fortresses-places that not only transmit knowledge but actively forge responsible, grounded, and connected citizens equipped to navigate disappointment without descending into destruction.
If societies fail to make this vital shift, they risk inadvertently cultivating a dangerous cohort: individuals who are brilliantly skilled and technically proficient, yet profoundly socially unmoored, existentially adrift, and perilously susceptible to ideologies that cloak nihilistic violence in the seductive garb of ultimate meaning and heroic purpose.
(The author is Dy.Chief Spokesperson @JKNC, Physician & Former MLA)
The post Degrees of Destruction appeared first on Daily Excelsior.