Mominpur Violence: NIA is coming for the Islamists of Bengal

October 29, 2005- Three bombs were placed in busy New Delhi markets on Diwali eve, 62 people lost their lives
March 7, 2006- Bomb blasts at a railway station and a temple in Varanasi- Death toll 20
July 11, 2006- Bombs on Mumbai’s suburban trains, 187 killed, 700 injured

Mominpur Violence: I can make a long-long list if I sit here to recall the unfortunate incidents of bomb blasts by terrorist groups that not only shocked the nation but left us shattered. Who can forget the dastardly Mumbai attacks, that killed more than 150 people and how the state failed the citizens?

People were being killed everywhere from railway station, to cafes and even at the costliest hotels. Even hospitals were not safe. And all that happened was resignation. The news from international borders was no different. No timely intervention in the matters has inflicted more wounds to the Indians than the attacks had.

However, this is a thing of the past. We have witnessed no such terror in the past 8 years. And the attempts to disturb India’s peace have cost much more to the perpetrators. We have been witness to deadly surgical strikes in the aftermath of Uri attacks. This is new India and today the state is not only determined to fight the enemies outside but also inside. And the crackdown on PFI is an evident example of it.

The civilisational state of India has been a victim of a lot, be it foreign invasions, plundering, cultural genocide. However, being one of the oldest civilizations helped the nation recover from everything. In the post-modern world, India is facing the threat of radicalisation and terrorism.

The threat perception increases with the evolving nature of terrorism. This time jihad has been incorporated to define a new phenomenon called jihadist terrorism. The module operates in two parts. First, instigating violence through sleeper cells and second, attracting and recruiting educated Muslim youths in order to spread the terror agenda while exploiting local grievances. Some examples of which can be said to be the violence that was committed against Hindus in the recent past.

Mominpur Violence- An example of ‘Jihadist Terrorism’

Violence is not new to Bengal. However, Mamata Banerjee has done nothing to improve the status of the state and it resembles the same as she inherited it from the Communists. The status has actually further deteriorated and its not just political violence that has seen a growth. Rather, West Bengal has turned into a launchpad for Islamists under Mamata Banerjee due to appeasement politics. The recent violence in Bengal’s Mominpur area stands in deposition for the same.

On October 9, anti-Hindu violence was reported from Kolkata’s Mominpur area. Bikes and shops belonging to Hindus were vandalised by Islamists at Maila Depot in Mominpur. The night of 8 October happened to arrive a bit early for the residents of the area. Having participated in the Durga Puja visarjan, most of them had retired to bed early.

Unlike the normal days, they were awoken in the middle of the night to the cry of violence and destruction. The Islamists in West Bengal had played their standard procedure of peddling misinformation and building a foundation for orchestrating violence upon that. It was spread that there has been an uprooting of an ‘Islmaic Flag’.

This didn’t end here, rather it continued on the next day as well. As per the local sentiment, the writing on the wall was clear that Hindus in Mominpur had faced the wrath of Islamists for not dismantling the Durga Puja pandals before Milad-un-Nabi.

Trouble ahead for Mamata Banerjee

This time the Hindu worshippers refused to give in to the Islamic diktat and the result was the clear targeted destruction of shops, vehicles and houses belonging to the Hindu community.

Till now there were no takers of Hindu victimhood. However, not any more. In a very first attempt to officially crack down on the Islamist ruckus in West Bengal, the Union Home Ministry has ordered the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to probe into the violence in Mominpur and Ekbalpur areas of the state in October.

The probe has been ordered citing the West Bengal government’s report. Earlier, the Union Home Ministry had sought a report in the matter. BJP leader Suvendu Adhikari had written to the Union Home Ministry demanding the deployment of the central paramilitary forces in the violence hit parts of the state and sought a probe by NIA. The NIA had registered a FIR and had started its investigation into the matter.

The NIA has already planned the action, which includes seeking the custody of those arrested by Kolkata Police, gathering and investigating video footages from the CCTV from the area and ground investigation.

The move comes after the direction of Counter terrorism and counter radicalisation (CTCR) division of the Ministry of Home Affairs. Earlier the Calcutta High Court had also ordered the state police to form a Special Investigation Team (SIT).

NIA to perform a PFI 2.0

Since the inception of the Modi government, the most widespread demand has been to ban the extremist Islamic organisation Popular Front of India (PFI). After its involvement was found in the anti-CAA protests and Hijab protests, the demand strengthened.

For the unversed, PFI was formed in 2006 as a successor to the National Development Front. It is believed to be an offshoot of SIMI, the mastermind of the 2006 Mumbai and 2008 Ahmedabad blasts. SIMI had a stated mission to “liberate India” by converting it to an Islamic land. It launched a Jihad against India, aiming to establish Dar-ul-Islam (land of Islam) by forced conversion or by bloodshed and violence. The agenda was later inherited by PFI.

Following a zero-tolerance policy against terrorism, radicalisation and extremism, the Modi government has finally banned the Islamic ‘terror’ outfit for a period of five years. The moved was orchestrated by the NIA. The agency conducted many nationwide crackdowns on the radical outside continuously for many days, where more than 200s were arrested and the structure was operationally dismantled. The well-coordinated operation was termed as Operation Octopus.

The central government under Prime Minister Narendra Modi has followed the policy of zero-tolerance since its inception. And the agency NIA, that guarantees safety, has launched a successful crackdown on organisations that have political footprints as well as backing. Now, the next in line is the Islamists of West Bengal harboured by their CM. There lies big trouble ahead for Mamata Banerjee.