A New Islamist Organisation Takes Shape In Tamil Nadu, Here's All You Need To Know

Jamaat-e-Islami (Hind) or JIH, the mother of all Islamist radicalism in India, is all set to launch a new 'youth movement' called 'Solidarity'.

This news cannot be taken lightly for it is the functioning of organisations such as JIH, with the covert support of Indira Gandhi government, that laid the foundations of terrorism in Kashmir.

The timing of the new youth movement's launch is interesting as well.

The Popular Front of India (PFI), a well-known radical organisation, has been coming under increased scrutiny of central agencies. With the PFI under risk of being banned, Solidarity could simply receive all the hard and soft infrastructure intact from PFI.

Such a transfer of infrastructure would mean the PFI would have simply switched clothes and escaped the long arm of the law.

Coimbatore, where Islamist organisations conducted a serial bomb blast attack (13 bombs, over 50 killed) is the launch venue for Solidarity. Between 1996-2001, the Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam (DMK) government under M Karunanidhi was said to be quite lenient towards Islamist forces leading to the bomb attacks.

Between 2006-2011 when the DMK was back in power, Islamist forces were able to mobilise once again.

The DMK took pride in donating ambulances to radical Islamist outfits like Tamil Nadu Muslim Munnetra Kazhagam (TMMK). It was well known from the police reports of Kerala that the radical Islamist organisations had used ambulances for smuggling arms etc.

The 2006-2011 DMK reign also saw Islamist fundamentalists enforce Taliban-like rules even executing Muslim women in public in Tamil Nadu.

Given the DMK's record and the history of Coimbatore, it is worrying that the newest Islamist outfit is set to be launched from here.

Often Tamil Nadu and Kerala with the superficial veil of 'communal harmony' have acted as the base for creating logistic networks and home base for radical Islamists who then operate from here. Once Bengaluru too was part of this. Now it has become hostile for radical elements.

So, this development in Tamil Nadu, already has indicators that should make every law-abiding citizen get concerned.

The Intelligence Bureau (IB) officers should be knowing well the nature of Jammat-e-Islami (Hind) and its relation to Islamist radicalism. They should also be knowing well the nature of Coimbatore which was once a killing field where Hindu activists were eliminated with impunity.

Yet the DMK government under Chief Minister M K Stalin has given permission for the organisation to conduct this event in Coimbatore.

This shows perhaps the DMK government has not learnt anything from the 1998 bombings. Or maybe DMK suffers from ideological perversion that is allowing history to repeat.

One wishes that the Bharatiya Janata Party takes this seriously as a political party, and raises the issue with the police officials and the state home minister. One also wishes that the central agencies and central Home Ministry take note of the situation and issue a stern warning to the authorities concerned.

Coimbatore cannot afford another 1998.