Campus Front of India: Seeking ‘like minded friends’, a student outfit 10 yrs in making

Formed in the wake of the 2002 Gujarat riots, the CFI has built its politics around opposing the Sangh Parivar. On campuses in Kerala, including at professional colleges, the CFI has carved out its space mainly fighting BJP student wing ABVP and the CPM’s SFI, and now has units in most institutions.

Last week, the CFI held protests against the Kerala government over a move to hike the bus fare for students. It also raises issues related to Dalits and alleged violation of human rights and imposition of laws like the UAPA, and led the protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act.

However, the CFI has also faced questions over its links with the right-wing and radical Popular Front of India (PFI), which has been accused by the Centre of “anti-national activities”. The BJP has demanded a ban on the PFI. Many CFI leaders deny the outfit is the student unit of the PFI.

The CFI’s emergence has been the cause of tension between it and the SFI on campuses in Kerala as well. In 2018, an SFI worker, Abhimanyu, was stabbed to death by allegedly CFI workers. There have been other campus killings blamed on the CFI-ABVP tussle.

As news came in Tuesday of the Karnataka High Court order upholding restrictions on hijab in educational institutions, CFI national general secretary Ashwan Sadiq P was present at the regional office in Bengaluru. The front criticised the order for destroying “the fundamental rights enshrined in the Constitution” and for doing “grave injustice to Muslim students”.

Sadiq said CFI sympathisers also held protests in Chennai, though not under the CFI banner. “This is because it was largely an issue of the community and individual rights. We are taking part in protests organised by students and other organisations,” he told The Indian Express.

Denying any links with the PFI, Sadiq called the CFI an “independent organisation”. “Our members have the right to work with any organisation in India except hide-and-seek, clandestine and fascist groups.”

Sadiq said that while the CFI was largely seen as an outfit based in the south, it also had a presence in prominent central universities in Assam, Rajasthan and

Delhi, with active units and members, including in Hyderabad Central University. In Uttar Pradesh, it has members but no state unit.

Athavulla Punjalkatte, CFI Karnataka president, also denied links with the PFI, adding that they were open to taking advice and suggestions from “organisations which support their cause”.

Claiming a membership of about 2 lakh, Punjalkatte said that while earlier they had a strong presence in coastal districts Udupi and Dakshina Kannada and in Bengaluru, their numbers were rising in north too after the hijab row.

A law graduate, Athavulla said that following barring of students for wearing the hijab, they had held drives to make students aware about scholarships and also set up help desks near colleges.

While the CFI started operations in Karnataka in 2009, it was a 2012 rape and murder of a girl in Dakshina Kannada that brought it to limelight as it led the protests over the incident.

A prominent feature of the CFI is the presence of women in its ranks, as seen during the anti-CAA protests. Sadiq said women make up 40%-50% of its members, including in the national leadership.

One of its women leaders is CFI Kerala state vice-president Zeba Sharin. Speaking to The Indian Express, Sharin said: “We are against all student outfits, but we consider Sangh Parivar or the ABVP as the main enemy because our politics is against them.”

Despite its growing popularity on campuses, the CFI has not made much of an impact in college union elections, barring a few seats. Kerala State University president K M Abhijith said: “College elections are the real test of strength, but in such elections, the CFI has not emerged as a force.”

One reason for this is seen to be the CFI’s association with the radical PFI, despite its leaders denying it. Kerala Muslims also have an alternative in the IUML, which is more mainstream.