Defence Minister Rajnath Singh has warned that an alarming trend of white collar terrorism is emerging in the country, with highly educated individuals engaging in anti-social and anti-national activities. Speaking at the 104th foundation day event of Bhupal Nobles’ University on Friday, Singh referred to the November 10 car bomb blast near the Red Fort in Delhi, where the accused were found to be doctors.
"Today, an alarming trend of white collar terrorism is emerging in the country. Highly educated people are working against society and the country," Singh said.
“The perpetrators of the Delhi bomb blast were doctors, those who write ‘Rx’ on prescriptions, yet have RDX in their hands. This highlights the need for knowledge to be accompanied by values and character,” he added.
Singh said the purpose of education goes beyond professional success and must include the development of morality, ethics and human character.“The purpose of education is not only professional success but also the development of morality, ethics and human character,” he said.
White collar terror module behind Delhi blast
The explosives laden i20 car that detonated outside the Red Fort on November 10 killed 15 people and was driven by Dr Umar un Nabi. Investigators later uncovered a white collar terror module, leading to the arrest of 3 doctors, Muzammil Ganai, Adeel Rather and Shaheena Saeed, among others.
Singh said knowledge leads to competence, competence to prosperity, and prosperity to righteousness, adding that true happiness ultimately comes from righteousness.
“Any education system that cannot fulfil this objective, which does not impart humility, a sense of character and dharma along with knowledge, is incomplete,” he said.
Clarifying his remarks on religion, Singh said, “When I talk about religion, it should not be associated with going to the temple, mosque or church for prayer. Religion is a sense of duty. Education devoid of religion and morality will not be useful to society, and sometimes it can even prove fatal. This is why educated people are sometimes found to be involved in crimes.”
Rajnath Singh on white collar terrorism
The defence minister also said terrorists are not necessarily illiterate and may hold university or college degrees, but turn to terrorism due to a lack of wisdom.
“Therefore, wisdom is essential,” he said. Singh further noted that many defence startups are doing remarkable work and expressed confidence that India would become fully self-reliant in weapons in the next 15 to 20 years.
He said technologies such as artificial intelligence and machine learning are transforming lives and work, and must be used positively to drive India’s development.
India is currently the world’s fourth-largest economy and is on track to become the third-largest by 2030, Singh said, adding that universities have a significant role to play in this journey.
He also stressed the importance of understanding the fine balance between self-respect and ego, urging people not to cross that line.
Also read: 14 Naxalites killed in encounter in Bastar; automatic weapons recovered
