Why did the government ban the Popular Front of India?

1. Central government last night banned PFI for 5 years over alleged terror activities

2. Along with PFI, student Islamic movement of India (SIMI), Jamaat Ul Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB) and Islamic states of Iraq and Syria were also banned

3. Along with PFI, its other subsidiary organisations have also been banned. These are Rehab India foundation, Campus front of India, All India Imam Council, National confederation of human rights organisations, National Women Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation 

4. Government said that PFI is involved in several criminal and terror cases. It has become the major threat to internal security of the country

5. Home Ministry said that PFI has been involved in violent acts like chopping of limb of a college professor and cold blooded killing of people associated with organisations espousing other faiths

6. Several criminal activities and brutal murders have been committed by the PFI members over the past years to create reign of terror in public mind 

7. PFI and its affiliates have been indulging in unlawful activities, prejudicial to the integrity , sovereignty and security of the country and that they have the potential to disturb public peace and communal harmony

8. The Home Ministry says that PFI has been pursuing a secret agenda to radicalise a particular section of the society. That the outfit shows sheer disrespect towards the constitutional authority of the country

9.  The 3 states Karnataka, Gujarat and Uttar Pradesh have recommended a ban on the organisation 

Government Action

1. On 22nd September, NIA, ED, and state police raided PFI leaders and functionaries across 15 states, arresting more than 100 persons

2. On 27th September, again the 2nd round of crackdown was carried out on PFI and its affiliates. A total of 247 arrests have been made so far

3. NIA raided Indore arresting 21 persons related to PFI.

4. MP state chief of SDPI,(Social Democratic Party of India, a subsidiary of PFI) Abdul Rauf Belim was arrested from Bhopal on 27th of September 2022

5. The NIA, so far registered 19 PFI related cases, charge sheeted 355 people and secured the conviction of 46 persons

6. NIA has accused PFI of instigating vulnerable youth to join banned terror outfits such as Al Qaida and ISIS 

What is PFI?

1. PFI was formed to counter Hindutva groups and engages in a radical and exclusivist style of Muslim minority politics 

2. It was founded in 2006, with the merger of Karnataka forum of dignity and National Development front

3. Its purpose is to establish Islamic rule in India, Muslim Political mobilization and countering Hindu Nationalism.

4. It describes itself as a neo social movement committed to empower people to ensure justice, freedom and security.

5. It advocates for Muslim reservation. It protested against the alleged use of UAPA to detain innocent citizens 

6. It is basically a resurrection of the banned terrorist outfit SIMI. 

7. PFI has been accused of having links with terrorist organisations such Taliban and Al Qaida

8. PFI activist have been found with lethal weapons bomb, gun powder, swords 

9. PFI has been in violent clashes with RSS in parts of Kerala and Karnataka

10. In 2012 Kerala government informed Kerala HC that PFI had active involvement in 27 murder cases mostly of cadres of CPIM and RSS

11. Contrary to its claim to be non religious in character, the PFI is often found to deploy radical Islamic identity for grassroot mobilisation and has been accused of engaging in a series of violent incidents

12. In 2020, some PFI members were arrested for their alleged role in inciting people during the Delhi riots

13.  The outfit also faces the charge of raising money domestically and overseas to fund its operations 

Why is the PFI - SDPI axis increasing by leaps and bounds ?

1. It has got now 4 lakhs members throughout India

1. Insecurity among Muslims 

2. Sense of deprivation because of Hindutva aggression 

3. Political alienation of Muslims on account of majoritarian governance by BJP RSS combined. Politically Muslims have become redundant. Their representation in Parliament and state assemblies has become minimum

4. Kerala is its cradle and launchpad for its activities

Conclusion

1. Government must act against radicalism of all kinds. 

2. Government agencies like CBI, ED and State Police must stop communal hate speech and stringent action must be taken

3. Conviction rate in communal violence at 20% under section 153 A, ipc, must be raised

4. The PFI continuously invokes the constitution, democratic values and rule of law but all that can not camouflage the violence in its action and speech as unleashed in Kerala last week

5. Only by adopting constitutionally mandated secularism, socialism, democratic system pervading political, social and economic justice would save India from radicalization of its society and polity Watch Full Video here