SIMI-linked PFI meet today

The Popular Front of India (PFI), overtly committed to the objective of socio-economic and political empowerment of the marginalised, backwards and the minorities, is “linked to the banned Students Islamic Movement of India” and its cadre have been trained in the use of sharp-edged weapons and fabrication and deployment of crude bombs and IEDs, a classified dossier of the Intelligence Bureau has revealed.

However, despite such pin-pointed apprehensions, the security establishment has turned a blind eye to the PFI’s plans of organising a two-day ‘Social Justice Conference’ at the Ramlila Ground here beginning Saturday in an apparent bid to acquire a political platform.

“The PFI has emerged as a new area of concern due to its radical Islamic beliefs, SIMI linkages and covert tactics. It has also recently organised a secret training camp for the recruits from different parts of the country,” the dossier says.

Other insidious activities of the outfit include attempts to acquire a political platform and ‘freedom parades’ among others. It recently organised a training camp in Kerala which was attended by a large number of participants from outside the State.

The PFI has based its headquarters at Shaheen Bagh, close to the place where the Batla House encounter took place. It was formed in December 2006 by merger of three prominent Islamic outfits of South India - the radical Jamiat Ahle Hadees, Hizb-ut-Tahrir and the People’s Democratic Party.

The PFI recently shifted its headquarters from Kerala to Delhi and this is a major cause of concern, the IB maintains even while underscoring the need to monitor the flow of funds from abroad to PFI.

A pamphlet circulated by the PFI cadres at railway stations besides other Islamic organisations in the city say, “The Conference will be a get together of likeminded organisations and movements which strive for common goal. Our country which started as a welfare state has been completely transformed into a market place. The poorest of poor are ripped off their basic rights. The backward sections are made to believe that such oppression is part of their fate. Every attempt by these sections to protect their rights is brutally oppressed and labeled as anti-development and anti-national.”

The leaflet also includes the outfit’s opinion under titles like ‘People are suffering’, ‘Dalits and Adivasis exploited’, ‘Minorities sidelined, targeted’, ‘Casteism and communalism triumphs’, ‘Eradication of corruption’ and ‘Fall of judiciary’ among others.

SIMI, according to the report, is also continuing its nefarious activities under the garb of Wahadat-e-Islami and Islamic Students Association. Several cadres of SIMI and its extension-Indian Mujahideen--- have been trained in Lashkar-e-Tayyaba facilities in Pakistan where the top leadership of the outfit is currently based under ISI protection.

A large number of IM and Jam Iyathul Ansarul Musalmeen (JIAM) cadres are still absconding with some of them escaping to Pakistan, Nepal and Middle East.

“Focused efforts are required to trace those cadres who are still in India. These outfits are supported by Pakistan-based terror outfits like LeT, Hizbul Mujahideen and HUJI who being part of the terror infrastructure being used by Pak as strategic asset are still intact, adds the report.

Reports indicate Pakistan-based jehadi groups plan to intensify terrorist action in the hinterland and the LeT and IM remain main terrorist outfits being used by Pakistan.