A total of 15 organisations have been declared unlawful associations under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act to date, the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) told the Rajya Sabha. The Minister of State for Home, Nityanand Rai, stated that these organisations were declared unlawful associations under Section 3 of the UAPA, 1967, between 2019 and 2023. Eight of the 15 organisations were declared unlawful in 2019, with one each in 2020, 2021, and 2022, and four this year.
The list of organisations includes the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), Meitei Extremist Organizations, such as the Peoples’ Liberation Army (PLA) and its political wing, the Revolutionary People’s Front (RPF), United National Liberation Front (UNLF) and its armed wing, the Manipur Peoples’ Army (MPA), Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and its Armed wing, the ‘Red Army’; Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP) and its armed wing, also known as the ‘Red Army’, Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL), Coordination Committee (CorCom) and Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak (ASUK); All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF); National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT); Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE); National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang) [NSCN (K)]; Islamic Research Foundation (IRF); Jamaat-e-Islami (JeI), Jammu and Kashmir; Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Mohd. Yasin Malik faction); Sikhs for Justice (SFJ); Popular Front of India (PFI) and its associates or affiliates or fronts including Rehab India Foundation (RIF), Campus Front of India (CFI), All India Imams Council (AIIC), National Confederation of Human Rights Organisation (NCHRO), National Women’s Front, Junior Front, Empower India Foundation and Rehab Foundation, Kerala; and Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party (JKDFP).
According to the Minister, concerted and coordinated actions under the provisions of the UAPA Act, 1967, have significantly contributed to containing terrorism-related crime in the country. The act aims to prevent certain unlawful activities, including membership of unlawful associations, dealing with funds of such associations, organizing terrorist camps, and holding proceeds of terrorism. It also empowers the government to designate individual terrorists.
In addition, the UAPA Act underwent an amendment in 2019, allowing for the individual designation of terrorists under the Indian legal system and meeting international obligations. There are several other amendments as well, such as empowering the Director General of the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to approve the seizure and attachment of property linked to terrorism and granting the NIA inspectors the authority to investigate offenses under the act.
By including the International Convention for Suppression of Acts of Nuclear Terrorism (2005) in Schedule II of the Act, India has taken steps to fulfill its international obligations.
The declaration of these 15 organisations as unlawful associations is a crucial step in combatting terrorism and ensuring the safety and security of the nation. The Ministry of Home Affairs remains committed to taking proactive measures to counter any threats posed by such organizations and individuals involved in unlawful activities.
