The Increasing Religious Radicalism In The Tatarstan Republic, And The Putin’s Response

Abstract

The Republic of Tatarstan once used to be known for communal harmony and peace is now in news for terrorist attacks. Radical Islamist threat intensified after the collapse of USSR. The Russian political elite never realised that, nascent Russia would ever face treat from radical Islamist forces. Yeltsin flexible approach towards Russian regions provided adequate time to Muslims for establishing outside contact. In the name of religious revivalism, Islamist radical activities proliferated in the middle Volga and the North Caucasus region. Putin’s repressive measures yielded only limited result. Therefore, the present paper attempts to analyse the reason for increasing Islamist radicalisation in the Russian Republic of Tatarstan and the adjoining region. It shall also strive to study the Russian authority response towards countering the radical Islamist challenges.