Tags:
Journalism of Courage
The National Democratic Front NDF, suspected behind the killing of an RSS leader in Kannur about a week ago, is a gradual phenomenon among Kerala8217;s extremist outfits. The front has figured in a string of communal and political killings over the past few years yet passes off as an advocacy group of progressive liberals. And, the leadership does not deny that a chunk of its 30,000-strong cadre has infiltrated almost all political parties, trade unions 8212; even some NGOs 8212; in Kerala.
The front was born in 1993, out of the post-Babri outrage. It was one of the many radical outfits that benefited from the Muslim League8217;s crisis as it stood by the Congress, which was blamed for allowing the demolition.
The visible soft face of the NDF is its 11-member supreme council 8212; a collection of professors, lawyers, religious scholars and others. A doctor in Malappuram heads its women8217;s wing.
Police and Intelligence sources say the NDF also has its trained hit squad called the Habbabil, and a religious policing arm. 8216;8216;It8217;s tough to get to their middle and lower level leadership, which oversee the actual criminal part of their operations. They are into almost all political parties and other organisations, including the CPIM. They don8217;t wear the NDF identity on their sleeves,8217;8217; says a senior officer with the state police intelligence.
The only political party that has openly admitted to being infiltrated by NDF ranks is the Muslim League. Its state committee declared three years ago that it would expel all NDF elements and deny entry to any more. No NDF man, however, has been dismissed yet. Besides, sources say a chunk of the middle-level leadership of the party8217;s youth outfit are NDF men, while intelligence officials say the breakaway Indian National League led by Ibrahim Sulaiman Sait has been virtually taken over by them.
The NDF, however, claims it is being demonized by the media, the police and successive governments. 8216;8216;The RSS man8217;s killing in Kannur the other day was only a retaliation,8217;8217; said Nazaruddeen Elamaram, spokesman of NDF8217;s supreme council. He claims in some cases, like the murder of a CPIM worker a few days ago, NDF ranks were 8216;8216;misused8217;8217; by others. As for his men infiltrating political parties, Nazaruddeen insists it points to the 8216;8216;liberal approach8217;8217; of the NDF, committed 8216;8216;only to protecting minority and Dalit interests and rights8217;8217;. The outfit, however, has been linked to several killings. Among them:
8226; The killing of CPIM activist Binu in Nadapuram, alleged to have molested a Muslim woman during the CPIM-Muslim League skirmishes there
8226; Murder of Sugesh, a DYFI worker in Thalassery 8226; Uppappa alias Siddhan, a fakir in Malappuram, killed for preaching 8216;8216;un-Islamic spiritualism8217;8217;
8226; Killing of CPIM8217;s Ashraf in Punalur 8226; Murder of BJP worker Mani in Chavakkad three months ago
8226; The biggest NDF strike, however, has been in Marad, where eight Hindu fisherfolk were killed in May 2003.
