On September 22, central agencies the National Investigation Agency (NIA) and Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a massive nationwide raids of the offices of Popular Front of India (PFI) regarding their connection with terror activists.
These raids, known to be the biggest so far by the Central Government, were conducted in Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, Delhi, Assam, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Goa, West Bengal, Bihar and Manipur.
Conducted in 93 locations, over 100 PFI members have been arrested. Thirty-eight locations around Telangana were searched (23 in Nizamabad, four in Hyderabad, seven in Jagityal, two in Nirmal, one each in Adilabad and Karimnagar districts) and at two locations in Andhra Pradesh (one each in Kurnool and Nellore districts) in the case relating to Abdul Khader of Nizamabad district in Telangana and 26 other persons.
Strongly condemning the search operations, PFI said, “Raids are taking place at the homes of its national, state and local leaders. The state committee office is also being raided. We strongly protest the fascist regime’s moves to use agencies to silence dissenting voices.”
PFI Kerala called for a bandh on September 23 after the Friday prayers. However, the bandh turned violent and incidents of vandalism as well as stone pelting were reported. According to new reports, two policemen were injured in Kollam district.
Following the violence and breakdown of law and order, the Kerala High Court took action on its own against the PFI leaders for calling out strikes that were conducted without any permission. The court observed immediate action should be taken against ongoing attacks.
Formation of PFI
The UPA-led central government banned the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in 2006. SIMI was banned for reportedly being involved in terror activities. The organisation had been formed few decades ago, in the 1970s, in Uttar Pradesh.
After SIMI’s ban, In 2007, three Muslim organisations – the National Democratic Front in Kerala, the Karnataka Forum for Dignity, and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai in Tamil Nadu – merged together in Kerala’s Malappuram district to form PFI. It was formally announced at a rally in Karnataka on February 16, 2007.
Since its birth, PFI has maintained that its purpose was to fight for the socio-economical and political backwardness of the Muslims. Many ex-SIMI members were part of PFI.
Analysts have often compared PFI to the National Development Front (NDF), a radical Muslim organisation formed in 1993 after the demolition of the Babri Masjid the previous year. It has also been compared with other the Hindu nationalist and right-wing Sangh organisations.
The PFI formed its political wing, the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), and a student wing called the Campus Front of India (CFI) in 2009.
The RSS also have a political wing like the BJP and a students wing, the Akhil Bharatiya Vidyarthi Parishad (ABVP).
Strong presence in Kerala
The PFI has been mostly active in Kerala. The state government has repeatedly accused the organisation of murder, rioting and having links with terror organisations.
In 2012, the Kerala government headed by Congressman Oommen Chandy argued in the High Court that PFI was “nothing but a resurrection of the banned outfit Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) in another form.”
It also said the organisation was involved in 27 communal murders, 86 cases of attempt to murder, and 106 cases of a communal nature in the state. The antagonism between the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) and PFI has also grown over the years.
In November 2021, an RSS worker named S Sanjith was allegedly killed by the PFI. In response, on April 15 this year, A Subair, a PFI worker was hacked to death outside a mosque. The next day, another RSS worker named S K Sreenivasan (45) was killed by five men in Palakkad.
PFI/SDPI in Dakshina Kannada
There is a strong SDPI influence in parts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi. In 2013, the SDPI won 21 civic seats in the local body polls. In 2018 it won 121 local body seats. In 2021 it won three civic seats in Udupi.
Although PFI has not been banned by the Central Government yet, the BJP Karnataka often accuses PFI to be an extremist organisation, offering training to cadres to carry out terror activities.
