Govt has banned PFI but it must ensure that it is not seen as an anti-Muslim decision

The Narendra Modi Government’s ban on the Popular Front of India (PFI) under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act is not surprising. The PFI has been proscribed for five years by the Ministry of Home Affairs for alleged with terror funding links. Multiple raids were carried out in various parts of the country, leading to hundreds of arrests by the Central agencies. That the PFI is an Islamist outfit is quite evident, but the Government has to justify the ban in the court of law where the decision is likely to be challenged. In fact, the PFI is one of the Islamist organisations all of which have misleading names. The political wing, for instance, is called the Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI). Then there are the Rehab India Foundation, the Campus Front of India (CFI), the National Confederation of Human Rights Organization (NCHRO), the National Women’s Front, the Empower India Foundation, etc. All of which have also been banned. One exception is the All India Imams Council. In March 2015, the PFI’s public relation officer Mohammed Arif Ahmed had described the body as a “neo-social movement committed to empower people to ensure justice, freedom, and security.” That was very clever on its part, for such phraseology is to the liking of liberals and intellectuals. In general too, on the face of it, few would like to have a quarrel with the folks committed to justice, freedom, and security.

Behind the nice-sounding names and nicer (ostensible) objectives lay the real goals—radicalisation of all sections of Muslims by all means, including persuasion. The hijab drive is part of this radicalisation; wearing hijab is more rampant now than it was a generation ago. The CFI’s role in instigating girls to insist on wearing Islamic attire in education institutions in Karnataka is well-known. In fact, radical Muslims have convinced or coerced their fellow-religionists to follow the purist version of Islam, which is especially oppressive for women. Quite apart from Talibanising Muslim society, the PFI and sister organisations have been involved in violent activities; for example, over a decade ago, they chopped off the hand of a professor in Kerala for allegedly having said something inappropriate about Prophet Muhammad. The Kerala Government has also acted against the PFI and similar outfits. In short, the Modi Government cannot be said to be called anti-Muslim just because it acted against the PFI. A couple of issues need to be raised here. First, the Government is widely accused of using the agencies like the Enforcement Directorate and the Central Bureau of Investigation for political purposes, so even when they genuinely do what they are mandated to, questions can be raised about the action. Second, while Islamic organisations involved in criminal activities must be dealt with firmly, the outfits claiming to represent other faiths should also be tackled accordingly if they are involved in unlawful activities. The Government must address these issues.