"Dr Mohamad, 65, who conducted an in-depth study on the migration of Kerala’s Muslims to radical path after 21 youths joined Islamic State territories in Afghanistan, feels that counter radicalisation efforts by the state have checked the problem effectively. “Less than 60 persons from Kerala have joined the IS, with another 100 from the Gulf. These numbers do not reflect the mindset of the majority of Muslims in Kerala. In fact, there is an effort by certain vested sects to brand Kerala as breeding ground of Islamic terror outfits to meet political targets. They paint the actions of a tiny section of people as the mindset of the community,” he points out. He adds that the fall of Afghanistan into hands of Taliban forces again triggers debate on the links between some of Kerala’s people with radical Islamic groups. “Gulf money, the demolition of the Babri Masjid and the ban on SIMI led to the mushrooming of radical Islamic outfits in Kerala. Ex- SIMI members raised various platforms and recruited youths to serve their purpose,” he concluded."