Arrest of leaders may not be end of road for PFI
KOZHIKODE, SEPT. 24: The National Development Front (NDF) was formed after carefully analysing the shortcomings of the organisations like the People’s Democratic Party (PDP) led by Abdul Nasser Madhani, which was revolving around one charismatic leader.
In his autobiography, NDF founder chairman E Aboobacker said Madhani’s style of functioning was a kind of ‘hero worship and individualistic.’ He said it was towards the end of 1980s, Muslim organisations in Kerala started thinking of self-defence and empowerment of the community and Madhani’s Islamic Seva Sangh (ISS) was the first such movement in the state.
“Such transient phenomena (like Madhani’s outfit) can create temporary ripples, but they are not capable of taking a society forward for a long period,” he said in the book. So, the NDF decided to go for a collective leadership following the Islamic principle of Shura (consultation).
The NDF and now PFI has a bunch of leaders whose voice matters in the organisation and E Aboobacker is one among them. A schoolteacher hailing from a village in Kozhikode, he is the most revered leader among the PFI cadre. He was active in organisations like the Ideal Students League, Jama’at-e-Islami and Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI.) He has been staying away from active organisational works for the past three years due to serious health issues.
P Koya, former English teacher at a government college, is considered the ‘intellectual face’ of PFI. He is in charge of the Institute of Objective Studies, an NGO formed by the supporters of the organisation, and is a member of the Committee for the Release of Political Prisoners.
E M Abdurehman and V P Nasarudeen, alias Nasarudeen Elamaram, are the others leaders who decide things in PFI. All these leaders are under arrest now. In the past few years, PFI has been careful in nurturing the second rung of leaders, who are running the show.
They include current chairman O M A Salam, Yahya Thangal and P K Usman, who have also been arrested as part of Thursday’s raid. These arrests may seriously cripple the PFI’s functioning, but it is not the end of the road for it. It is not yet known whether Centre will ban it or allow to function without important leaders. PDP was weakened after it suffered innumerable splits following Madhani’s arrest.
Such a problem will not arise for the PFI as there are other leaders in the feeder organisations like SDPI and Imam’s Council, who have the experience of leading from the front. Unlike SIMI, which was banned in 2001, and truncated PDP, the PFI has mass base and military-like command structure that cannot be dismantled easily.
-TNIE
