SIMIotics

With the Supreme Court staying the tribunal order that lifted the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India SIMI, the debate about the organisation8217;s character will now be settled by the highest legal authority. But the tribunal8217;s order and political reactions to it have engendered other issues that are as pertinent. First, take the extraordinary response from Lalu Prasad Yadav and Mulayam Singh Yadav. One is a minister in the UPA, the other a key coalition member now. Their government was pursuing an extension of the ban on SIMI. Let8217;s be extravagantly generous and assume that vote bank politics was not the inspiration behind the Messrs Yadavs8217; reaction. Even so, can8217;t senior leaders of a ruling coalition observe minimum discipline? What8217;s the signal going out at a time India8217;s two major cities are still recovering from terror? Two heavyweight UPA leaders are gushing over the defeat of a government effort against a group suspected of less-than-savoury activities. This is terrible politics. And it is made still worse by the fact that the two Yadavs know very well that the Congress8217;s home minister is in no position to critique them 8212; Shivraj Patil has been the poster boy of the kind of wrong-headed politics that informs Mulayam8217;s and Lalu8217;s irresponsible statements.

Second, consider the implications for the home ministry from the tribunal8217;s order. Justice Geeta Mittal made it clear that the home ministry8217;s 8220;evidence8221; arguing for continuing the ban on SIMI was a mix of old case files 8212; the 2006 Malegaon blast investigation 8212; and vague claims. SIMI has been on the radar since before this government took over 8212; it was first banned in September 2001 8212; and it8217;s hard to see how the home ministry can explain why in four and a half years its agencies have learnt so little about the organisation.

If the home ministry is to successfully argue the case in the Supreme Court, it must come up with better evidence. But there are only three weeks before the first hearing. More evidence of the home ministry8217;s remarkable ineffectualness may be coming.