MHA updates list of 67 banned terrorist organisations, unlawful groups

NEW DELHI: An updated list of the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) names a group of 67 terrorist organisations and unlawful associations facing a ban under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act for their role in terrorist activities against India, threatening the country’s security.

The list released by the Ministry of Home Affairs names 45 organisations that are officially categorized as terrorist organizations under Section 35 of the UAPA and are included in the First Schedule of the Act. The remaining 22 groups are classified as unlawful associations under Section 3(1) of the UAPA.

Many of these organizations have been involved in militancy, separatism, and violent activities across India. The MHA keeps on updating such list. The declaration of these banned organisations is part of India’s ongoing efforts to curb terrorism and extremist activities within its borders. Organizations listed under the UAPA face strict legal action, including asset freezes and arrests of members involved in unlawful activities.

The group of outfits designated as terrorist organisations are Babbar Khalsa International; Khalistan Commando Force; Khalistan Zindabad Force; International Sikh Youth Federation; Lashkar-e-Taiba or Pasban-e-Ahle Hadis or The Resistance Front and all its manifestations and front organisations; Jaish-e-Mohammed or Tahreik-e-Furqan or People’s Anti-Fascist-Front (PAFF) and all its manifestations and front organisations; Harkat-ul-Mujahideen or Harkat-ul-Ansar or Harkat-ul-Jehad-e-Islami or Ansar-ul-Ummah; Hizb-ul-Mujahideen or Hizb-ul-Mujahideen Pir Panjal Regiment; Al-Umar-Mujahideen; Jammu and Kashmir Islamic Front; United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA); National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in Assam; People Liberation Army (PLA); United National Liberation Front (UNLF); People’s Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK); Kangleipak Communist Party (KCP); Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup (KYKL); Manipur Peoples Liberation Front (MPLF); All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF); National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Eelam (LTTE); Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), Deendar Anjuman; Communist Party of India (Marxist-Leninist)-Peoples War, all its formations and front organisations; Maoist Communist Centre (MCC), all its formations and front organisations; Al Badr; Jamiat-ul-Mujahideen; Al-Qaida or Al-Qaida in Indian Sub-Continent (AQIS) and all its manifestations.

Dukhtaran-e-Milat (DEM); Tamil Nadu Liberation Army (TNLA); Tamil National Retrieval Troops (TNRT); Akhil Bharat Nepali Ekta Samaj (ABNES); and organisations listed in the Schedule to the UN Prevention and Suppression of Terrorism (Implementation of Security council Resolutions) order, 2007 made under Section 2 of the United Nations (Security Council) Act, 1947 and amended from time to time; as well as Communist Party of India (Maoist) all its formations and front organisations, Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), all its formations and front organisations; Kamatapur LIberation Organisation, all its formations and front organisations; Islamic State or Islamic State of Iraq and Levant or Islamic State of Iraq and Syria or Daish, and all its manifestations; National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khaplang), all its formations and front organisations; The Khalistan Liberation Force and all its manifestaions; Tehreek-ul-Mujahideen (TuM); Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Bangladesh or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen India or Jamaat-ul-Mujahideen Hindustan and all its manifestations; Jammu and Kashmir Ghaznavi Force (JKGF) and all its manifestations and front organisations; Khalistan Tiger Force (KTF) and all its manifestations anf front organisations; and Hizb-ut-Tahrir (HuT) and all its manifestations and front organisations are other terrorist groups named in the list as designated organisations.

The groups declared as unlawful associations are Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI); United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA); All Tripura Tiger Force (ATTF); National Liberation Front (NLFT); Hynniewtrep National Liberation Council (HNLC); Liberation Tigers of Tamil Elam (LTTE); National Socialist Council of Nagaland (Khapiang); Islamic Research Foundation (IRF); Jamaat-e-Islami, Jammu and Kashmir; Jammu and Kashmir Liberation Front (Mohd Yasin Malik faction); Sikhs For Justice (SFJ); Jammu and Kashmir Democratic Freedom Party; Muslim League Jammu Kashmir (Masrat Alam faction); Tahreek-e-Hurriyat, Jammu and Kashmir; Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Bhat faction); Muslim Conference Jammu and Kashmir (Sumji faction); Jammu and Kashmir National Front; Jammu and Kashmir Peoples Freedom League.

Besides, seven Meitei Extremist Organisations namely People’s Liberation Army and its political wing the Revolutionary People’s Front; United National Liberation Front and its armed wing, also called the ‘Red Army’; Peoples’ Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak and its Armed wing, the ‘Red Army’;Kangleipak Communist Party and its armed wing, also known as ‘Red Army’; Kanglei Yaol Kanba Lup; Coordiantion Committee; and Alliance for Socialist Unity Kangleipak are among the list of unlawful associations. Popular Front of India and its associates or affiliates or fronts including 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 Rehab Foundation, Kerala are also named in the list of unlawful associations.

Four factions of Jammu and Kashmir Peoples League namely JKPL (Mukhta Ahmed Waza), JKPL (Bashir Ahmad Tota), JKPL (Ghulam Mohammad Khan alias Sopori), and JKPL (Aziz Sheikh) led by Yaqoob Sheikh are also named in the list.

The Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), 1967, is India’s primary anti-terrorism law which allows the government to declare organizations as terrorist groups or unlawful associations, enabling authorities to take action against them. The Act has been amended multiple times to strengthen its provisions, especially after the 2008 Mumbai attacks.

The designation of an organization as a terrorist group has serious consequences, including banning its operations in India, freezing its financial assets, preventing its members from raising funds or recruiting, and legal action against those associated with the group.

The Indian government periodically updates the list to counter evolving threats from militant, insurgent, and extremist groups operating within and outside India. (ANI)