James P. Carse, in his book titled “Finite and Infinite Games,” provided us with ample information regarding the nature of games. He broadly categorized the games into two categories: finite games and infinite games. Finite games are played with the goal of winning, while infinite games are played with the goal of continuing the play. Thus, he states, “There are at least two kinds of games: finite and infinite. Finite games are instrumental activities – from sports to politics to wars – in which the participants obey rules, recognize boundaries, and announce winners and losers. The infinite game – there is only one – includes any authentic interaction, from touching to culture, that changes rules, plays with boundaries, and exists solely to continue the game. A finite player seeks power; the infinite one displays self-sufficient strength. Finite games are theatrical, necessitating an audience; infinite ones are dramatic, involving participants.” The nature of infinite games is the same as that of finite games, reflecting the nature of war modes in the new generation. This new mode of warfare is also known as Fifth Generation Warfare. In this mode of warfare, neither the war theatre nor the weapons to fight the war are definite; instead, based on their flexible nature, this mode of warfare is also called Elastic War. Many anti-Bharat outfits, seeking to create roadblocks in the growth story of modern Bharat, have employed this mode of warfare to achieve their nefarious goals through covert plans.
In recent years, the banned radical Islamist outfit Popular Front of India (PFI) has emerged as one of the classic case studies of outfits that have emerged as a threat to disturb the socio-cultural fabric of Bharat through the means of propaganda blended with social engineering.
Popular Front of India (PFI):
Popular Front of India was an organization that claimed to be engaged in social work. But in fact, it was working in the direction of destabilizing the Bharatiya society. Popular Front of India (PFI) came into existence in 2006, but its origins can be traced back to 1993. Following the demolition of Babri Masjid, the National Development Front (NDF) was created. NDF claimed that it was devoted to the socio-economic reform of the Muslim community. Still, its radical nature was exposed in 2003 when some of its members were arrested for murdering eight Hindus on Marad beach in Kozhikode, Kerala.
In 2006, with the merger of like-minded Islamist radical organisations, such as the Karnataka Forum for Dignity and Manitha Neethi Pasarai (Tamil Nadu) and the Popular Front of India (PFI), the latter came into existence. In the next three years, organizations like Goa Citizen’s Forum, Rajasthan’s Community for Social and Educational Society, West Bengal’s Nagarik Adhikar Suraksha Samiti, Manipur’s Lilong Social Forum, and Andhra Pradesh’s Association of Social Justice merged with PFI.
Old Wine in a New Bottle:
In a true sense, PFI was a new avatar of the banned radical Islamist outfit Students’ Islamic Movement of India (SIMI). Many of the SIMI members had now been active members of PFI. Professor P. Koya was a central member of both the National Development Front and Popular Front of India (PFI) and was also a founding member of SIMI.
E.M. Abdul Rehman has served as the General Secretary of SIMI for two terms. He has also served as its National Vice President, in addition to serving as the Chairman of the Popular Front of India (PFI). Similarly, E. Abubacker, who once served as the PFI President, had also been Kerala’s SIMI President. Many names have served in the banned radical terror outfit like SIMI and have also been working in the PFI with the motive of disturbing Bharat’s social fabric.
Popular Front of India (PFI) and Propaganda:
Propaganda is a piece of information that is partially true, but often exaggerated, false, or misleading. PFI had been using propaganda to fuel its anti-Bharat agenda.
The Maharashtra Anti Terrorism Squad, in a 1,113-page chargesheet, had claimed that the five PFI members arrested by the Maharashtra ATS wanted to “create dissatisfaction and hatred against other religions by spreading disinformation of atrocities among Muslim Youths.”
The chargesheet makes the following revelations about the five accused, who were office bearers of PFI:
- PFI and the Islamists working with the terror organisation were conspiring against the state.
- PFI members held secret meetings in Chembur, Dharavi, Kurla, Thane, Nerul, Panvel, and Mumbra, Maharashtra. In these meetings, they planned how to work against the state and also hatched theories to radicalize Muslims and turn India into an Islamic nation by 2047.
- PFI had planned to induct Muslims, convince them that the state was working against Islam, and mobilize them against Hindus.
- PFI intended to work towards replacing the Constitution of India with Islamic Sharia.
- They wanted to turn India into an Islamic State.
- They wanted Muslims only to be identified as ‘Muslims’ and not Indians.
- PFI pushed the propaganda of Muslims being in danger and atrocities being heaped upon them. Using this trope, they wanted to train Muslims to use arms.
- PFI wanted to raise money and seek help from foreign organizations to subvert Indian democracy and fulfill their plans to turn India into an Islamic nation.
- Two of the accused were knowledgeable about the law and would guide the team accordingly.
And the above is only the testimony of a radicalized terror outfit like Popular Front of India (PFI), which intended to blend propaganda with social engineering and violence to disturb the social harmony of the country. The Maharashtra ATS chargesheet also focused on the fact that PFI had been working to brand the Agnipath Scheme as a tool of Muslim genocide. ATS even attested to a screenshot of a chat depicting the notorious anti-Bharat propaganda of Popular Front of India (PFI). The motto of this whole disinformation exercise by PFI was “Propagandizing the Fact and Weaponizing the Propaganda” for its India Vision 2047, where it started to convert Bharat into a Muslim nation by 2047.
PFI and its India Vision 2047:
In July 2022, Bihar police revealed an 8-page document of PFI titled “India Vision 2047”. This document, revealing 5 GW, was intended for internal circulation only. In this document, it was mentioned that the Muslims had to teach a lesson to the “coward Hindus”. In this document, they had asked for converting Bharat into a Muslim nation. This document is a clear example of false propaganda, venomous spread, and misinformation, leading to the distortion of perceptions within the Bhartiya society. It has been claimed that cadres should work to create a firm belief among the Muslim community that the government is committing atrocities against them. Some of the excerpts from the document:
० Alas, once the ruling community of the country, Muslims have now been relegated to second-class citizens.
० Should also question the other so-called secular parties for their secularist leanings and discredit them among the masses. The “stockpiling of weapons and explosives” should be done in this third stage only.
In the fourth and final stage, it was recommended that the party should become a sole leader and voice for the entire Muslim community, and the party should also gain the trust of at least 50 percent of SCs, STs, and OBCs, emerging as their representative as well. At this stage, this vote share would be sufficient for the party to gain political power at the national level. Once in power, all important positions in the executive and judiciary as well as in the police and Army are to be filled with their loyal cadres.” This fourth stage was a clear sign of what a model of propaganda blended with social engineering looks like.
Conclusion:
On September 28, 2022, Popular Front of India (PFI) was declared an “Unlawful Association” by the Government of Bharat, and under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, it banned the organization for five years. The Government cited PFI’s connections with terror outfits like SIMI, Jamat-Ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh (JMB), and Islamic State of Iraq and Syria. It termed these connections as “prejudicial to the integrity, sovereignty, and security of the country.” Along with PFI, its eight affiliates were also banned by the Central Government. These organizations included Rehab India Foundation, Campus Front of India, All India Imams Council, National Confederation of Human Rights Organization, National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation, and the Rehab India Foundation, Kerala.
Let’s critically analyze the tactics employed by PFI to conduct its activities properly. We can see that the PFI was working on an elastic and hybrid model of warfare, which differed from the previous avatars of radical terrorist organizations. Thus, to forecast the future national security challenges lying in front of Bharat, we have to understand Popular Front of India (PFI) and its activities in totality and prepare an “Elastic Defence” Model for the present ongoing Elastic Warfare!
The views and opinions expressed here belong solely to the author and do not reflect the views of BlueKraft Digital Foundation.
