ABSTRACT
Deradicalization and disengagement (DD) of radicalized individuals and organizations is a worldwide concern. Since radicalized locals have national, regional and global repercussions, their DD is a hot topic at the United Nations and regional forums and for concerned governments. This chapter highlights the DD processes in the South Asian countries, i.e. Bangladesh, India, Nepal, Pakistan and Sri Lanka. Deradicalization is a course which leads individuals to discard extremist perceptions about the world, renounce violence for bringing about social change and adopt more acceptable political pluralism. The Maharashtra state government had engaged and trained religious, academic and community leaders for deradicalization. In another approach towards deradicalization, disengagement and reintegration programmes, the Sri Lankan government invited successfully disengaged key figures from the Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE), as well as former LTTE members turned businessmen, to use them as role models in the media.
