Banned SIMI is active in Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram/Kozhikode:  The banned Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI) has made a foot hold in Kerala, thanks to the patronage it receives from ‘secular’ politicians.  Recently the State police have arrested 19 of its activists from Aluva and raided Hira Centre, the headquarters of Jamaat-e-Islami in Kozhikode and seized large chunk of suspicious literature.

Cases under Section 153 (A) of IPC and Section 10 and 13 (1) (B) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, 1967 had been registered against them.  The arrested include an Imam, who was translating religious literature.   The activists hailed from various parts of the State and were mostly students.  Police have seized books and pamphlets printed in Pakistan.  The articles and writings contained anti-national slogans.   Among the seized books was Mass Resistance in Kashmir, published by the Institute of Policy Research, Islamabad.  The seized map of India did not show Kashmir as part of India.

Police as part of its vigil on account of the Bombay blasts made the arrests.  The coastal areas of the State are also under close watch as there were reports of Pakistani presence at different parts of the State. 

Police searched the Hira Centre, Kozhikode following information that one of the suspected SIMI activists held near Kochi has links with the Centre and several other had close link with certain redoubtable quarters in Kozhikode and Malappuram.

The arrest and the raid point to a grand design slowly evolved by the Muslim extremist organizations operating in the State, operating with the tacit support of both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) led by CPM and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) led by the Congress.  It may be recalled that during the recent elections to the State Assembly both the fronts were vying with each other to appease the Muslim fundamentalists of the State.

The documents seized contain reference to the ‘upper caste dominance,’ Muslim tortures and ‘resistance movements’, which are the terminology used in the literature of the extremist outfits to attract persons to their ideology.

After its ban in 2001, many SIMI activists have been active in some namesake and obscure outfits, which often operated in the pretext of Human rights activists.  The literature circulated by both the National Democratic Front (NDF), a rabidly communal anti Indian organization, and the SIMI is packed with stories of atrocities committed by the upper caste Hindus on the Dalits, Backward classes and minorities.

They plant stories of upper caste terror to create the impression that these organizations are fighting the cause of justice and are not confined to issues of Muslim community alone.

This strategy was first experimented by Abdul Nazar Mahdani.  When his Progressive Democratic Party (PDP) was banned, he along with some Backward Class and Dalit leaders, had tried to create a movement of the ‘down trodden’ against the upper caste hegemony.  Interestingly the ‘secular’ politicians of all hue and colour begged for Mahdani’s support by demanding his release from the Coimbatore prison, where he is lodged in connection with the serial blasts.

The plan was to split the already shaky relationship between the upper caste and backward class Hindus.  The aim of the Muslim extremist organizations is to exploit the rift and twist the entire issue to suit their needs.  These fundamentalists also use every opportunity to covert the backward class Hindus in large numbers as was done at Meenakshipuram, years ago.  Large inflow of funds and literature, in many cases supported by ISI, help  them in this venture.

The literature seized was meant to create a kind of persecution mania in the Muslim community. Inflammatory pamphlets, visuals of Gujarat violence, communal riots in North India and police excesses in Kashmir are spread to whip up communal passion among the Muslim youth.

The Muslim persecution is then linked with the upper caste torture of the Dalits and the backward classes and Muslim and Dalit youth in large number are recruited to these ‘structured programs’.  After the brainwash, they are used as effective tools to spread Islamic fundamentalism.  In these secret sessions, the audience is energized by the examples of the resistance movements in Palestine, Afganisthan, and Iraq.

SIMI that came into being on 25^th April 1977 at Aligarh Muslim University started functioning in Kerala in 1978 at Kozhikode.  It attracted the Muslim youth with its religious teaching and other Muslim groups supported it whole-heartedly. When the organization declared its aim ‘India’s liberation through Islam’, ‘help’ started flowing from several centers.It established connections with Dawood Ibrahim and ISI.

After its ban, SIMI functioned in the guise of other organisations in UP, Kerala, MP, Delhi, Gujarat, Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Assam.  The political leadership both at the Centre and the State have not given enough attention to the fact that after the second Kargil war, Army intelligence found that Pakistani terrorist are in constant touch with their agents in North Kerala through satellite phone.  Intelligence sources also say that several Jihadis are being trained at different parts of Malappuram district.

The banned SIMI is active in different parts of Kerala in different names and is having links with several Islamic organisations such as Hisbul mujahedeen, Jamate Islami of Pakistan, World Assembly of Muslim youth, Riyad, Islami Federation of Students organisations, Kuwait and large funds are flowing to its coffers unchecked. 

Intelligence sources revealed that SIMI activists had joined several prominent political parties also, including CPM and Congress.  It also functions under the cover of religious study centers, rural development and research centers and institutions for developing ‘personal effectiveness’.

These institutions are spreading ‘extremist religious ideals’ among the Muslim youth by acting under the cover of ‘counseling and guidance centers working for behavioural improvements’. 

The Malabar Coast has emerged as a strong base for Muslim extremism in Kerala.  The mysterious explosions that took place at Kozhikode, Beypore, Kannur are linked to SIMI.   Intelligence sources also revealed that some of the SIMI recruits had gone to POK (Pakistan occupied Kashmir) to get training in terrorism. 

In spite of intelligence reports and clear proof of the functioning of Islamic terrorists in the State, the State government did nothing to curb the menace, obviously eyeing the Muslim votes.  The price of callousness and appeasement would be severe.

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