In May 2016, after over 25 people from Kerala fled to Afghanistan to join the Islamic State (IS), Padanna, a village in the north Kerala district of Kasargod, earned the uncharitable tag of being the “IS’s recruitment hub” — a majority of those who left were from Padanna.
Now, nearly 100 youngsters from the same Muslim-majority village are among the many such groups who are playing a major role in helping Kerala recover from the devastation of the recent floods. At least five of these youngsters said they trimmed their beards and avoided other “obvious symbols” before coming to Central Kerala since they didn’t want any unwanted attention.