After the death of SA Basha, the notorious Islamist terrorist and founder of Al Ummah, who was infamous for his violent role in terror attacks across Tamil Nadu during the 1980s and 1990s, Tamil Nadu political leaders have come under fire for describing him as a “martyr for a cause” and even comparing him to a father figure. These remarks are a blatant attempt to whitewash the destruction caused by Al Ummah and its leader, disregarding the immense suffering inflicted upon the state and its citizen. Such statements have crossed all reasonable limits, with critics accusing these leaders of engaging in extreme minority appeasement for the sake of vote-bank politics, without any sense of responsibility.
VCK chief Thol Thirumavalavan, in a post on his official X account, praised Basha, stating, “His family was imprisoned to protect the interests of Muslims, he did not lose heart and lived with determination, unwavering in his principles.” He went on to say, “His demise is a great loss for Muslims,” and paid a “heroic tribute,” saluting “Kovai Pasha.”
Meanwhile, NTK chief Seeman, while expressing his condolences, controversially referred to Basha as “father Basha,” describing his death as a “great tragedy.” Seeman’s praise was alarming to many, especially considering his description of the convicted terrorist as a father figure. His comments attempted to deflect attention from the serious crimes Basha and his organization were convicted for, including the murder of innocent people, while blaming the imprisonment of Muslim prisoners on political motives, ignoring the severity of their crimes. This rhetoric has sparked widespread concern, as it seems to ignore the tragic consequences of the violent actions committed by Al Ummah and its leaders.
But the wounds from the devastating 1998 Coimbatore bomb blasts, orchestrated by Basha’s Islamist fundamentalist organization Al Ummah, remain fresh in the minds of the victims and their families. The coordinated attacks resulted in the tragic deaths of 58 people and left 231 others injured. Al Ummah was known for brainwashing young individuals into committing such heinous acts, leaving a trail of destruction and sorrow.
It is deeply condemnable when politicians praise a terrorist as a martyr while disregarding the innocent lives lost in such tragic incidents. Below are the atrocities carefully orchestrated and carried out over two decades by these so-called “father figures” and “martyrs.”
- 1982: Basha attacked a group of Hindu leaders returning from a meeting at Coimbatore.
- 1984: On 18 July 1984, Basha attacked Rama Gopalan, a prominent Hindu leader of the Hindu Munnani.
- 1989: On 30 August 1989, Veera Ganesh, a prominent Hindu Munnani functionary was killed.
- 1991: On 5 September 1991, Veera Shiva, a Hindu Munnani functionary, was killed.
- 1992: On 29 October 1992, Al-Ummah members arrested while smuggling explosives from Kerala.
- 1993 (August): RDX blast at RSS state headquarters, killing 11 people.
- 1994 (October): State president of Hindu Munnani, Rajagopalan, dragged out of his house and attacked.
- 1995 (April): RDX blast at Hindu Munnani headquarters.
- 1995 (July): Parcel bomb killed the wife of district president of Hindu Munnani.
- 1997 (September): On 2 September 1997, Five Hindus killed in one day.
- 1997 (November): Police constable Selvaraj publicly executed.
- 1998 (February): On 14 February 1998, Coimbatore serial bombings killed 76 people (Operation Allahu Akbar).
- 1998 (March): Prof. Paramasivam dragged out of his house and executed.
- 2003 (May): On 2 May 2003, Marad massacre – Eight Hindu fishermen massacred.
- 2006 (August): 18 SIMI members conducted indoctrination-Jihad camp.
- 2006 (November): Two Pakistani terrorists arrested.
- 2007 (January): On 1 January 2007, Two LeT terrorists arrested while fleeing to Chennai.
- 2010 (July): Professor’s hand chopped off in a violent attack.
- 2012 (July): Two Hindu students, Sachin Gopal (20) and Vishal Kumar (19), stabbed to death.
- 2012 (November): On 6 November 2012, Anand, an RSS functionary, attacked.
- 2013 (April): BJP leader attacked in the morning hours.
- 2013 (July): On 1 July 2013, Vellaiappan, a Hindu Front functionary, killed.
- 2013 (July): On 19 July 2013, Ramesh, an auditor and BJP state general secretary, killed with 23 cuts.
This timeline highlights the continued violence and intimidation carried out by members of Al-Ummah and associated groups, reflecting a dark period in Tamil Nadu’s history. Let these incidents serve as an eye-opener for these politicians, urging them to focus on any issue but never play politics with national security or compromise the lives of innocent citizens.
A partial list of jihadi crimes and targeted killing of political enemies carried out by Baasha/his associates.
Coimbatoreans must never forgive or forget. pic.twitter.com/36CMBPAEhR
— Amar Govindarajan (@amargov) December 19, 2024
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