Ex PFI cadres find safe haven in Left Parties; CPI worker jailed in murder case, probe reveals terror links

There are reports that workers of the outlawed PFI (Popular Front of India) are “taking asylum” in the CPM, CPI and Congress parties. By day, they appear as “soldiers” of these so-called “secular” parties; but after sunset, they return to their real identities. Their first preference is the Left parties, owing to the advantage of being in power. Former PFI members receive a warm welcome in these parties, thanks to the vote-bank politics of Muslim appeasement.

An incident reported from Charummoodu, Alappuzha, underscores this trend in bold. CPI workers—who were formerly with the PFI—were sentenced to jail on 18 June in connection with the attempted murder of SFI leader Charummoodu Kunnil Noujas Mustafa. Hairool, a former PFI leader and physical trainer, and Nishad are among those convicted. They were sentenced to rigorous imprisonment for two years and three months, and fined Rs 6,500 each.

The crime occurred in 2018. Six individuals, including the two aforementioned, attacked the SFI worker. They had reportedly been indoctrinated through fundamentalist training sessions organised by the PFI. Hairool was previously the Mavelikkara Mandal Secretary of the SDPI, the political wing of the PFI. After the PFI was banned, he joined the CPI.

A large number of PFI members have joined other parties since the ban. Hairool reportedly attempted to join another party but, failing to do so, settled for the CPI. In April 2023, he was reported to have hosted a CPI minister at his home for dinner, and pictures of the event were widely circulated on social media. Veteran CPI members have been voicing concerns that Islamic extremists are hijacking the party. They allege that the party is falling prey to the manipulations of Islamic radicals. Their protests, however, make no headway. Similar protests from workers of other parties have also proven futile. PFI members appear to be joining mainstream parties with clearly defined goals.

The SDPI employs a calculated method of gaining social acceptance: they invite leaders of various parties to public functions or to their homes or offices, distribute leaflets or sweets, and flood social media with the images. The goal is to cultivate a veneer of legitimacy.

There are also reports of PFI cadres joining the CPM. A report from Kayamkulam suggests that a CPM member, who was formerly with the PFI, was convicted in connection with an attempted murder of another SFI worker.

Organiser weekly has long alleged that religious fundamentalists have been infiltrating the Left parties and the Congress. It is a mutually beneficial operation. On one hand, mainstream parties acquire battle-hardened cadres willing to kill and be killed. On the other hand, the fundamentalists gain entry into mainstream politics and are thus able to project a secular image. Several political observers have since pointed out that these “newcomers” are “secular” by day and revert to being “fanatics” after dusk.