Sri Lanka’s High Commissioner to India Austin Fernando recently participated as a panelist in a panel discussion titled “Radicalization in South Asia” held at the Jindal School of International Affairs (JSIA) of the Jindal Global University (JGU) in Haryana, India.
The panel discussion had been organized by the Diplomania Society of the Jindal School of International Affairs as part of a series of event to celebrate the tenth anniversary of the Jindal Global University.
Speaking at the panel on radicalization in South Asia, High Commissioner Austin Fernando presented perspectives on radicalization based on Sri Lanka’s past experiences during the conflict as well as post-conflict. He expounded on the circumstances that led to the Easter Sunday Terrorist attacks and the emerging patterns of radicalization. High Commissioner Fernando assessed the challenges and limitations of Sri Lanka in dealing with this complex issue, and stressed the importance of a comprehensive programme for de-radicalization with the involvement of a broader community engagement. The High Commissioner also shed some light on the role of the social media in radicalization.
The panel also included prominent academics such as global affairs analyst Prof. Sreeram Chaullia, Dean of the JSIA, BJP National Executive member Dr. Seshadri Chari, and Dr. Indramohan Jha. The panel was moderated by Prof. Sripathi Narayanan. A large number of students attended the panel discussion.
