Should SIMI Stay Banned? Supreme Court Upholds Extension Amid Terror Concerns

New Delhi: The Supreme Court on Monday dismissed a plea challenging the latest extension of the ban on the Students Islamic Movement of India (SIMI), reigniting debate over the continued outlawing of the controversial group. A bench of Justices Vikram Nath and Sandeep Mehta refused to entertain the petition against a 2024 judicial tribunal order that confirmed the central government’s decision to extend the ban for another five years under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).

The Ministry of Home Affairs had issued a notification on January 29, 2024, renewing SIMI’s proscription, citing national security threats. The tribunal, formed under UAPA guidelines, backed the government’s claim that SIMI remained an active and dangerous organisation despite being banned for over two decades.

Founded in 1977 at Aligarh Muslim University, SIMI began as a student wing of Jamaat-e-Islami Hind before severing ties and operating independently from 1993. Over the years, the government has accused the group of pushing a radical Islamist ideology and seeking to establish an Islamic state through violent means. The organisation openly rejected secularism, democracy, and nationalism, branding them contrary to Islamic principles.

SIMI’s activities reportedly escalated after the communal violence of the 1980s and 1990s. Its notoriety peaked post-9/11, prompting the first official ban in 2001 under the Vajpayee government. Since then, the group has been linked to multiple terror plots and alleged connections with Pakistan-based outfits, including the Indian Mujahideen.

In a rare instance, the Delhi High Court tribunal briefly lifted the ban in 2008, but the Supreme Court reimposed it within 24 hours, citing overriding national security concerns. Since then, each extension has been based on reports from intelligence and security agencies that claim SIMI continues to operate through underground networks and affiliated fronts.

While some founding members have denounced SIMI’s militant shift, calling its path “misguided,” the Centre continues to maintain that the organisation poses an enduring threat. The latest court ruling further solidifies the government’s long-held position on SIMI, but also raises larger questions about freedom of association, state power, and the future of proscribed organisations in India.