Author: Editorial
Publication: News Today
Date: August 6, 2008
URL: http://newstodaynet.com/newsindex.php?id=9773%20&%20section=13
A special designated tribunal of the Delhi
High Court, headed by Justice Geeta Mittal has revoked the ban on SIMI, the
Students Islamic Movement of India.
The lifting of the ban has come as a rude
shock to all the peace loving citizens of India, as the entire nation is aware
of the fact that the organisation has involved in almost all the terror attacks
on the Indian soil, either as a perpetrator or as a conniver or as a helper.
The organisation came into being in 1977 with
an aim of 'Liberating India and restoring Islamic Rule'. As conveyed by its
objective, it slowly started indulging in anti-national activities after recruiting
thousands of youngsters and spreading its tentacles all over the country.
It was first banned in September 2001 under
'Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act' and has been consecutively banned thrice
every two years.
When it was banned for the first time, the
Congress Party, true to its credentials of minority appeasement, opposed the
ban and the party president waxed eloquent in Parliament twice in March and
June 2002 condemning the BJP led NDA government for imposing the ban.
After coming back to power, the Congress led
UPA government deliberately allowed the ban to lapse in September 2005.
Unfortunately for the Congress Party and the
UPA government, the SIMI's involvement was established by the intelligence
and investigating agencies in the various terror attacks and the Manmohan
Singh government had to impose the ban again in February 2006.
Even then the Congress Party tried its level
best, by appointing its then UPCC President Salman Kurshid to appear for the
banned outfit in the Court of Law, which ended in vain.
Even while the ban was re-imposed in 2006,
the then Uttar Pradesh government led by Samjwadi Party gave the organisation
a clean chit.
The then Chief Minister Mulayam Singh Yadav
exonerated SIMI from the Ayodhya attack and Varanasi blasts.
His government also withdrew all the cases
against the SIMI activists, who have been responsible for the 2001 Kanpur
riots, which took the lives of 16 people.
It is a well-known fact that he has been a
consistent supporter of the organisation.
Despite the ban, the organisation has been
growing by taking different avatars in different states (NDF, Al Umma, TMMK,
KFD, MNP, PFI, etc, etc.) and some of them have taken political colours too
by aligning with vote-chasing pseudo-secular parties.
As the central government re-imposed the two-year
ban in February 2008, the organisation approached the Delhi High Court challenging
the ban.
Even as the involvement of the organisation
was being suspected in the Bengaluru and Ahamedabad blasts, the special tribunal
headed by Justice Geeta Mittal, while hearing the case on 29 July, asked the
government if it had 'fresh' materials to connect the organisation with the
blasts.
Justice Geeta told the centre that it could
not presume, but should place enough and specific materials before her. Yesterday's
judgment indicates that the centre has miserably failed to provide enough
and specific evidences to the tribunal.
The lifting of the ban on SIMI has terrified
the intelligence officials and investigating authorities. They are of the
opinion that the judgment has come at a wrong time, especially when they are
on a hot pursuit of the members of SIMI.
They also feel that it would curtail the process
of investigation and prove to be a big setback for them. Though the Home Ministry
claimed that it had dealt well with the case, Justice Geeta has said that
the Home Ministry has not submitted enough proofs to continue the ban on SIMI.
The main opposition party BJP was obviously
outraged and blamed the 'incompetence' of the UPA government and said that
the event has shown the 'real face' of the UPA.
Saying that SIMI is synonymous with terrorism,
the party added that it would oppose the lifting of the ban with all its might.
However, the rest of the political establishments have been conspicuously
silent on the vital decision of the tribunal.
Here is a terrorist organisation, which has
been the main brain behind the death and destruction due to terrorism in the
country for the last three decades, left scot-free by a government after a
brief ban for only six years.
This government is led by a party that has
spoken in favour of this organisation inside and outside parliament; this
government is supported at a 'crucial time' by a 'new partner', who has been
consistent in favouring this organisation; this government has also got the
support of all the Muslim political parties during the 'confidence motion'
and it has the most incompetent person heading the Ministry of Home Affairs.
It is not enough if the government says that
it would appeal against the tribunal's decision. It must show that in action
and it owes the nation an explanation on the present failure and an assurance
on the future accomplishment, for the life of million people is at stake due
to the lifting of the ban.
