Govt’s move to curb activities of PFI anti-democratic, unconstitutional: E Aboobacker

Kozhikode, Sept 13: Popular Front of India chairman E Aboobacker has said that the latest moves as reported in a section of media to stifle the activities of Popular Front of India (PFI) is anti-democratic and that the organisation is determined to resist such attempts through lawful means. 

Addressing a media conference along with PFI Kerala state president Nasarudheen Elamaram here on Wednesday, he also announced that public meetings will be convened in different parts of the country to explain the policies and approaches of the organisation.  

“It seems that the Hindutwa government in power is making moves to stifle the activities of PFI through antidemocratic and unconstitutional measures including demonization and false propaganda against the organization. We strongly condemn such moves. This new episode of spreading sensationalized stories against Popular Front was initiated by various media outlets belonging to Times Group, based a dossier allegedly submitted to Home Ministry by Investigative Agency, which came into existence as part of the 2008 amendments made to UAPA law,” he said.

He said that the sinister propaganda had become apparent when Times Now channel broadcasted a report by misquoting the words of Moulana Jalaluddin Umari, the Vice-Chairman of All India Muslim Personal Law Board and the national Amir of India Jamat-e-Islami.

“Mainly the following four accusations were leveled against the organization in the alleged NIA report.  One of them is the local attack on a college professor who insulted Prophet Muhammed in a highly obscene language. PFI had made it clear in a press meet at that time that the organization was not involved in the incident. As for the Narath incident, it was a health awareness programme organized by our members as part of the ‘Healthy People, Healthy Nation’ campaign, which is an annually held campaign of the organization. The programme was falsely turned into the story of arms training.  The Kerala High Court had revoked the use of UAPA in the case and SC did not even accept the NIA appeal against the High Court decision. Another accusation is that the organization is recruiting its members to Islamic State which is working in Syria and Iraq. Only 60 people from the 18 crores strong Indian Muslims are believed to have departed for Syria or Afghanistan. The truth is Popular Front had warned its members early enough of mysterious groups like Islamic State and their traps on social media to lure young people into their fold. People showing sympathies for such groups were kicked out from the organization whenever they were found. This policy of the organization had been communicated in time to the members through a circular,” he said.

In fact, the attempts to link Sathyasarani, an Islamic educational institution at Manjeri, with ‘Love Jihad’, a racist propaganda created by Hindutwa forces, too have utterly no any basis. It was an order of Kerala High Court division bench to admit Hadiya, a convert to Islam, to Sathyasarani for her Islamic education as she wished. It is the same court which assigned A S Zainaba as the local guardian of Hadiya. Sathyasarani is not a conversion center; it is an educational center. At the same time, it is to be noted that any Indian citizen is guaranteed the right to profess any religion and to propagate it, he said.

He said that PFI is an organization with thousands of members and has a presence in various parts of the country. Its varied programmes aiming at promoting literacy and alleviating poverty have even gained the appreciation of governments. The stand held by Popular Front that the largest challenge faced by our country at present is fascism remains crystal clear to this day.   And it is because of this very reason that the organization is being targeted by the central government. The organization is determined to resist any attempt against the organization through democratic and lawful means.