The cases of tumours are rising, not only in India but around the world. To date, two types of tumours have been discovered; Benign (non-invasive) and Malignant (invasive). Not only common masses, but even the medical fraternity also tend to ignore the Benign tumour’s potential of turning into malignant and even turning into cancer, which will ultimately be incurable. In the same manner, the Narendra Modi government often gaining accolades for taking tough decisions has been found incompetent in diagnosing a fatal tumour called Popular Front of India (PFI), which has turned into a malignant tumour and is exponentially spreading throughout the country.
PFI: Another SIMI in making
The Popular Front of India (PFI) is an extremist Islamic organisation that was established in 2006, as a successor to the National Development Front (NDF). NDF was set up in Kerala in 1994, two years after the demolition of the Babri incident. As the NDF’s popularity grew, the incidents of communal activities also surged.
On 22 November 2006, the NDF, Tamil Nadu’s MNP (Manitha Neethi Pasarai) and the KFD (Karnataka Forum for Dignity) came together to form the Popular Front of India.
Read More- It is high time that Modi government terminates PFI before it becomes SIMI 2.0
It is often said and believed that PFI is an offshoot of SIMI (Students Islamic Movement of India), the organisation accused to be the mastermind of the 2006 Mumbai and 2008 Ahmedabad blasts. PFI, the ‘political’ outfit based in Kerala, is a favourite of the so-called secular parties and an eyesore for the legal authorities.
The ‘growth story’ of PFI
PFI did not grow on its own, rather it adopted a model of merger. In the years that followed PFI not only expanded its base to other states and shifted its headquarters from Kozhikode to New Delhi.
To grow in strength, it merged with several other organisations like Citizen’s Forum, Community Social and Educational Society, Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti, Lilong Social Forum among others. It also accommodated people in huge numbers from the banned outfit SIMI.
To expand in all age groups, PFI launched its student wing, the Campus Front of India (CFI) in 2009. In the same year, the outfit launched its own political arm, the SDPI, headed by E Abu Backer, who headed the Kerala Zone for SIMI between 1982-84.
The organisation has been under constant watch due to the aforementioned reasons along with some of its ‘controversies’.
PFI: A threat to the secular and cultural fabric of India
Since the inception of the outfit, there have been various allegations against it for inciting violence, possessing arms and for its involvement in propagating extremism and jihad.
It had its role in several protests held across the nation in the name of CAA-NRC. In 2020, the Uttar Pradesh government accused PFI of violent activities in the state, seeking a ban on the organisation. Himanta Biswa Sarma led Assam government had also approached the Central government requesting a ban on the radical Muslim outfit for the active involvement in violent incidents during the anti-CAA protests.
PFI’s student wing CFI (Campus Front of India) was actively involved in the anti-Hijab protests in the southern state of Karnataka. It has been alleged that the outfit was coordinating and organising protests in the state in the name of Hijab controversy. The controversial role of the outfit is not limited to this, their active involvement has been found in Karauli violence in Rajasthan to the Kanpur violence in Uttar Pradesh.
The biggest failure of Modi Govt; not banning PFI
Despite repeated demands to ban the organisation, the Modi government has been avoiding this issue since last 8 years. The government and the Prime Minister who is known for taking tough decisions, is guilty of ignoring and allowing an organisation to flourish which is spewing venom in the society.
Read More- PFI gets its just desserts
One of the biggest threats that India currently faces is the menace of Islamic radicalisation and PFI is guilty of fuelling many of such. The Enforcement Directorate of India has recently taken some steps to break the financial spine of this radical group. ED provisionally attached at least 33 bank accounts of this radical Islamic group. The ED officials said that 23 bank accounts of Islamist organisation PFI and 10 accounts of a linked organisation called Rehab India foundation have been attached as a part of an anti-money laundering investigation against them.
The only government that has been able to do something concrete was the Jharkhand government under CM Raghubar Das, who banned the organisation in the state to curb its anti-national activities and for keeping links with terror organisations like ISIS.
The Government of India needs to immediately ban the extremist organisation with immediate effect under the Criminal Law (Amendment) Act, 1908 before it expands its roots in such a way that it becomes impossible to uproot it.