Tackling radicalisation: Russia ready to share experience with India

Russia today said it is ready to share with other countries, including India, its expertise in dealing with the menace of radicalisation.
"Our government policy shows that we can tackle the issue of radicalisation and (we are) also ready to share with other countries, and our partners, like India, the experiences of tackling this problem, especially for stopping radicalisation of the youth," Anatoly Kargapolov, Charge D'affaires of the Russian Embassy in New Delhi, said.
The senior Russian diplomat was responding to a question from the media, at an event here, on Russia's approach in dealing with "Islamic radicalisation" in countries like Syria.

"Our secret formula is pragmatism and to be fair towards others in the region...In Syria, or any other place, Russia intends to defeat IS and bring peace in the Middle-East," he said.
Kargapolov was taking questions at the launch of the book-- Russian Civilisation and Islam -- authored by professor Arun Mohanty, at the embassy here.
The book was launched as part of celebrations to mark the 70th year of diplomatic relations between India and Russia.

Mohanty, a professor at the JNU's Centre for Russian and Central Asian Studies, School of International Studies, said, "Islam in Russia has largely been a secular religion and there has never been any riots on communal grounds as, we have had Hindu-Muslim riots in India."

The JNU professor also claimed that Joseph Stalin's "military atheism" from 1928 onwards, was not against only Islam but against all the religions.
"So, mosques and other worship places were felled just like churches were demolished," he said.
Senior Cousellor at the Embassy, Sergey V Karmalito said, Mohanty is now working on a new book, which would detail the "journey of Russian travellers, including envoys, scholars, artistes and others, during Czarist-era of the country".
The book would be released during the 70th year's main celebrations scheduled in April.
"A host of other activities like exhibitions, seminars, conferences are also planned during the celebrations that will take place both in India and Russia," Karmalito said.

Former Ambassador of India to the UN, Asoke Mukerji said, four personalities from India have been testimony to "enduring ties" between the two countries.
"One is (Mahatma) Gandhi and his correspondences with (Leo) Tolstoy, which are fairly known. Then, (Jawaharlal) Nehru, and I am talking about his links with Russia even before 1947; then (Rabindranath) Tagore and his works; and Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan, the second Ambassador of India to Russia," he said.