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Popular Front of India
AbbreviationPFI
Formation22 November 2006
TypeVoluntary Based Nonprofit organisation
PurposeTo establish an egalitarian society in which freedom, justice and security are enjoyed by all.
HeadquartersG-66, 2nd Floor, Shaheen Bagh Kalindikunj, Noida Road, New Delhi – 110025, Tel/ Fax – 011 29949902
Region served India
Chairman of the FrontE. Aboobacker
Websitewww.popularfrontindia.org

The Popular Front of India (PFI) is an extremist and militant Islamic fundamentalist organisation in India fo|url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Kerala/Police-probing-PFI-s-alleged-links-with-LeT-al-Qaeda-amp-Hizbul/Article1-597025.aspx |title=Police probing PFI's alleged links with LeT, al-Qaeda & Hizbul |newspaper=Hindustan Times |accessdate=2014-04-15 |url-status=dead |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20121019121717/http://www.hindustantimes.com/India-news/Kerala/Police-probing-PFI-s-alleged-links-with-LeT-al-Qaeda-amp-Hizbul/Article1-597025.aspx |archivedate=19 October 2012 |df=dmy-all }}</ref> However, in April 2013 a series of raids by the Kerala Police on PFI centres across North Kerala found lethal weapons, foreign currency, human shooting targets, bombs, explosive raw materials, gunpowder, swords, among other things. The Kerala Police claimed that the raid revealed the "terror face" of the PFI.

In 2015, the Madras High Court issued a notice to the Commissioner of Police based on the PIL charging police for having given misleading information to HC on the 'unity march, a variant of the 'Freedom Parade'. The HC directed to register a case against the CoP and the SP, and ₹3.3mn as compensation for 'loss of image, reputation and defamation.' The organisation provided counter arguments to the allegations positioned against it in its 2012 nationwide campaign "Why Popular Front."

The organisation is also known for its anti-Imperialist & anti-Zionist stance, as seen in the pro-Palestine protests in various parts of the country in November 2012, and later in July 2014 with the nationwide solidarity campaigns christened "I am Gaza." The organisation is also known to support pro-democratic movements. In 2015, the Popular Front protested against the death sentence given to a democratically elected leader, Mohamed Morsi and his followers. The protest was in front of the Egyptian embassy in New Delhi.

History

The PFI started in Kerala as successor to National Development Front in 2006. It went on to merge with the Karnataka Forum for Dignity of Karnataka and the Manitha Neethi Pasarai in Tamil Nadu and later in 2009, with Goa's Citizen's Forum, Rajasthan's Community Social and Educational Society, West Bengal's Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti, Manipur's Lilong Social Forum and Andhra Pradesh’s Association of Social Justice. It actively advocates Muslim reservations, personal law courts for Muslims, the cause of Dalits, Muslims and tribals, and scholarships to deprived Muslim students.

A common platform was formed in cooperation with the South India Council as an outcome of a regional discussion attended by Muslim social activists and intellectuals from the South Indian States at Bangalore on 25 and 26 January 2004. It has taken up the issue of reservation in government and private sector jobs and Parliament and Assemblies and in cooperation with the Confederation of Muslim Institutions in India, it organised a two-day workshop on Muslim Reservations on 26 and 27 November 2005 at Hyderabad, inaugurated by Rajya Sabha member Rahman Khan. The slogan of PFI is Naya Karavan: Naya Hindustan, which is Urdu for "New Caravan: new India".

On accusations and counter charges

In 2012, the Popular Front launched a nationwide campaign "Why the Popular Front", detailing the alleged false accusations and attempts by mainstream media and other organisations to tarnish its image. The organisation maintains that it strives hard to restore the rights of the depressed and marginalised sections of the Indian society. The organisation's former Chairman, E M Abdul Rahman, gave elaborate justifications for the accusations that the PFI faces that year. Further, the organisation filed complaints with the Press Council of India against 10 newspapers—both Hindi and English—for their attempts to tarnish the image of the PFI. In 2013, in line with the PFI's counter charge, "Coastal Digest" reported that the NIA and the IB denied that they had shared any such information, denying the claims by the media. This was in response to the 2012 complaints against 10 newspapers. In March 2015, Indian intelligence agencies reported that the role of the PFI in the 2011 Mumbai bombings, 2012 Pune bombings and 2013 Hyderabad blasts had been found; claims which where subsequently denied by the PFI.

Political Activities

National Political Conference

The public meeting on 17 February 2009 which marked the conclusion of National Political Conference saw the merger of social organisations in eight states into the Popular Front of India. Along with the state presidents of NDF Kerala, MNP Tamil Nadu and KFD Karnataka which had already merged with Popular Front, heads of social organisations in Andhra Pradesh, Goa, Rajasthan, West Bengal and Manipur joined hands on the dais with the Popular Front chairman.

Freedom Parade on Indian Independence Day

File:Mettupalayam-freedom Celebrations.png
Freedom Parade, 2010.

The PFI and its allies conducted a freedom parade on 15 August in 2009 and 2010 in celebration of Indian Independence Day. The parade was followed by a public meeting. In 2010, the parade was conducted in Udupi and Mettuppalayam. In the previous year it was conducted in Mangalore and Madurai.

The Kerala state government banned the Freedom Parade stating it would jeopardise communal harmony. The ban was challenged in the Kerala High Court which upheld the ban. The Intelligence wing of Kerala Police had informed the High Court that PFI is the new face of banned Islamist group Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) and is engaged in fundamentalist and anti-national activities. This stand of the government was rejected by the High Court.

Social Justice conference 2011

The Social Justice Conference was held at Ramlila Ground in New Delhi on 26 and 27 November 2011. The conference was addressed by Syed Shahabuddin, a former MP and Mulayam Singh Yadav, the Samajwadi Party leader, and Thol. Thirumavalavan the Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi leader. The key address of the conference was to plea the UPA government to implement the findings of Sachar Committee Report and the Ranganath Misra Commission.

Protest against misuse of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act

21 activists of PFI where charged with Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) for involvement in anti-national activities. Following which, in May 2013, the organisation conducted a statewide campaign in Kerala, it started on 8 May from Kasargod and how the UAPA is being misused, and how they believe it is terrorising citizens who resisted oppression from a ruling elite. The campaign concluded with a mass gathering at the State Capital, Thiruvananthapuram on 30 May.

Muslim minority reservation and employment

KM Shareef, the National General Secretary of PFI has asserted that reservation is the most immediate need of Muslims, referencing a report submitted by the Prime Minister's High Level Committee (Justice Rajindar Sachchar Committee) in November 2006, which identified the Muslim community as more backward than any other, and claimed that insufficient discussion on this topic was taking place in assemblies and parliament. In the context of the Central Government's decision on reservation in higher education, the South India Council organised three Regional Conventions on Reservation: in Calcutta on 4 August 2006, in Bangalore on 5 August 2006, and in Chennai on 17 August 2006. A National Convention on Reservation in Higher Education was organised by the South India Council jointly with All India Milli Council at New Delhi on 29 August 2006. Former Prime Minister V. P. Singh also addressed the convention. In 2010, the National Executive Council of the PFI demanded a ten percent reservation for Muslims across India.

References

  1. "PFI spreading tentacles to Andhra,says police chief", Indian Express, 12 August 2010
  2. "Kerala Police unmasks PFI's terror face".
  3. "HuJi, Popular Front of India under lens for hate messages - Times of India". Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  4. "In a pluralistic part of India, fears of rising Islamic extremism". washingtonpost.com. Washingtonpost.
  5. "Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine". archive.tehelka.com. Retrieved 9 September 2016.
  6. "Kerala Police unmasks PFI's terror face". The New Indian Express. 28 April 2013. Retrieved 21 April 2015.
  7. Press Trust of India (31 March 2015). "PIL seeks Rs 33 lakh compensation from Commissioner of Police". business-standard.com.
  8. "Bangalore : PFI to Launch 'Why Popular Front' Campaign from Oct 10". Daijiworld.com. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  9. "'Why Popular Front' campaign begins tomorrow". Coastaldigest.com. 9 October 2012. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  10. Cite error: The named reference ReferenceA was invoked but never defined (see the help page).
  11. "Civil rights groups stand in solidarity with Palestinians; protests all over India against Israeli attack on Gaza". twocircles.net.
  12. "Udupi: PFI stages protest against Israel attack on Gaza". daijiworld.com.
  13. KohraM. "Protests outside Israeli Embassy in Delhi over airstrikes in Gaza Strip". www.kohraam.com.
  14. "Tehelka - India's Independent Weekly News Magazine". tehelka.com.
  15. "Muslim Mirror » Death sentence to Morsi; Protest march in front of Egyptian embassy in New Delhi". Muslim Mirror. Archived from the original on 26 May 2015. Retrieved 20 May 2015.
  16. Concern in govt over PFI’s growing outfits, spread, shishir gupta, Tue 5 Apr 2011, indianexpress.com
  17. "Muslim bodies float front". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 12 December 2006. Retrieved 21 February 2007.
  18. "Popular Front of India floated". Webindia123. 10 December 2006.
  19. "Front seeks greater representation for Muslims". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 28 November 2011. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  20. Pradesh, Andhra (17 November 2005). "Around the City". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  21. Pradesh, Andhra (29 November 2005). "Declare Muslims backward for quota". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  22. Pradesh, Andhra (27 November 2005). "Reservation to help overcome discrimination in society". The Hindu. Chennai, India.
  23. Bari, Pervez (2 February 2010). "Muslim reservation due to backwardness, not because of religion: Syed Shahabuddin". UMMID.
  24. "Bangalore : PFI to Launch 'Why Popular Front' Campaign from Oct 10". daijiworld.com.
  25. "'Muslims don't benefit from an exodus'". Rediff. 22 August 2012.
  26. "Muslim Mirror » Press Council to hear PFI's complaints against 10 dailies on 16 July". Muslim Mirror.
  27. saf. "IB, NIA, Press Council rubbish media's terror claim on PFI". Coastaldigest.com.
  28. "Popular Front of India's role in 2011 Mumbai, 2012 Pune, 2013 Hyd blasts found: Intel agencies". The Times of India. 27 March 2015. Retrieved 26 June 2015.
  29. "Popular Front of India denies role in terror attacks". 28 March 2015. Retrieved 11 May 2016.
  30. "Aim for Empowerment through Constant Struggle - Advisor to South African". Daijiworld.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  31. "Grand Start for Popular Front National Political Conference". Daijiworld.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  32. "State sponsoring atrocities on minorities, accuses PFI leader". web.archive.org. 20 August 2010.
  33. "Freedom parade at Mettupalayam". Chennai, India: Hindu.com. 16 August 2010. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  34. "Freedom Parade at Mangalapuram". Daijiworld.com. Retrieved 17 April 2014.
  35. "Kerala high court turns down Popular Front of India's freedom parade plea". The Times Of India. 3 August 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  36. "Popular Front of India is new face of Simi: Kerala govt". The Times Of India. 26 July 2012. Retrieved 24 August 2012.
  37. "PFI, NDF Involved in CPI(M), RSS Cadres' Murders: Kerala". The Times Of India. 25 July 2012.
  38. "Popular Front of India says Dilli chalo". Allvoices.com. 8 October 2011. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  39. "Front seeks greater representation for Muslims". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 28 November 2011.
  40. "Decision to slap UAPA on PFI activists right: Thiruvanchoor". The New Indian Express. 11 May 2013. Retrieved 14 May 2014.
  41. "PFI to organise campaign against UAPA". Samachar.com. Archived from the original on 8 April 2014. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  42. "Larger plan in NSS-SNDP unity: PFI". The Hindu. Chennai, India. 31 May 2013. Retrieved 15 April 2014.
  43. CD Network (12 March 2010). "Reservation is the right of Indian Muslims: PFI Chief". CoastalDigest.
  44. "Former Prime Minister V. P. Singh arriving to attend the National Convention on Reservation in Education". Archived from the original on 29 September 2011.
  45. "Popular Front of India: About Page". Archived from the original on 30 August 2010.
  46. Bari, Pervez (3 March 2010). "Popular Front to Hold Parliament March for Muslim Reservation on March 18". The Siasat Daily.

Further reading

External links

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