The Marad coastal region in Kozhikode district is once again in the spotlight following a disturbing incident involving the vandalism of a local Ayyappa temple. The latest attack occurred at around 6 a.m on June 7, when Navas, a member of the Islamist outfit Muhyiddin, attempted to desecrate the temple premises. The Bhajan Math, a sacred space for devotees, was targeted in the assault. This incident has revived painful memories of the Marat Hindu Massacre of 2003, a violent episode that shook the nation. During those riots, terrorist organisations including the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML), CPI(M), now banned Popular Front of India (PFI), National Development Front (NDF) and Social Democratic Party of India (SDPI), were involved in the killing of eight Hindus.
In a chilling link to the past, it has now been revealed that the elder brother of Navas was one of the key Jihadi’s in the 2003 Marad riots. When police apprehended Navas, he claimed allegiance to the Muhyiddin group. During the attack, Navas assaulted the chief priest, desecrated the Ayyappa idol, smashed sacred lamps, and trampled on the Tulsi plant planted at the temple entrance. He also attempted to destroy another temple in the vicinity. He tried to force entry into the Chottanikkara Amma Bhagavathy Temple in Alappat, breaking its gate. However, locals spotted him in time, and he fled the scene. According to reports, Navas had returned from abroad two years ago. The name of his organization, “Muhyiddin”, translates to “one who revives faith”. Historically, Mappila warriors in Kerala would recite the Muhyiddin Mala before engaging in battle or riots, including the infamous Mappila Rebellion in 1921.
Given Navas’s foreign stay and ideological leanings, there is growing concern that the incident may have been part of a larger, premeditated plan. This concern is compounded by past revelations about Pakistan’s role in supporting the 2003 Marad Hindu massacre. In this context, a thorough and comprehensive investigation into Navas’s actions, affiliations, and the possible revival of extremist networks in the region is urgently warranted.
2003 Hindu Massacre in Marad and Pak ISI Links
The coastal village of Marad in Kozhikode was rocked by a gruesome massacre in 2003, when eight Hindus were brutally murdered in a planned and targeted attack. What initially appeared to be a communal riot was later revealed to be a deeply orchestrated conspiracy executed from within the Juma Masjid in Marad. Following the killings, the perpetrators, linked to extremist networks, sought refuge inside the mosque. When police attempted to intervene, they were shielded by the local Muslim women surrounding the mosque. Upon breaching the compound, police found individuals in blood-soaked clothing and, to their horror, a cache of deadly weapons: ninety homemade bombs, forty swords, petrol bombs, choppers, spears, Islamic arms, and iron pipes.
The post-mortem reports were chilling. Victims’ bodies were mutilated, with their private parts disfigured, a disturbing echo of the atrocities committed during the 1921 Malabar Hindu Massacre. Despite the gravity of the violence, the then Congress-Muslim League coalition government led by A K Antony, former defence minister of India, appointed the Joseph Thomas Commission, which officially described the incident as a communal conspiracy but did not conclusively link it to foreign terror networks.
However, compelling evidence told a different story. A Pakistani national, Fawaz, was arrested for suspected involvement in the plot. Investigators found that a prominent youth leader in Kozhikode had been in repeated contact with Fawaz, who had even stayed in the city prior to the massacre. Despite this, the inquiry into his role stalled inexplicably. Crucially, the Assistant Commissioner of Police testified that the National Development Front (NDF), one of the key groups involved, received significant foreign funding to conduct terror training camps. This aligns with wider intelligence that parts of Kerala’s coastline were being used strategically for what was effectively a form of land jihad, where religious radicalism was tied to long-term demographic and territorial ambitions.
A Commission Uncovers Deeper Rot: Political Complicity and Pak-ISI Link
Responding to intense pressure from Hindu organisations and civil society, then Chief Minister A.K Antony was forced to call for an independent probe. Justice Thomas P Joseph led the inquiry and exposed further alarming facts. The appointment of Abdul Rahim as Assistant Commissioner raised suspicions, particularly because the weapons stockpiled inside the mosque had gone undetected for months under his watch.
Justice Joseph’s commission also pointed to the involvement of foreign forces. It explicitly noted that Muslim extremists, with backing from outside India, likely the Pak- ISI, had formulated a covert strategy to cleanse the region of its Hindu population. District Collector T.O. Sooraj Mohammed was singled out for exhibiting communal bias and for actively misleading higher authorities. Evidence also indicated that the Industries Minister and Mulsim league leader PK Kunhalikutty and Sooraj Mohammed had prior knowledge of the violence.
One of the commission’s most damning observations was the failure of the District Collector’s office to maintain any registers documenting local intelligence, police reports, or special branch warnings. Even as the region teetered on the brink, Sooraj Mohammed permitted the then Union Minister E. Ahamed to access the sealed Juma Masjid under questionable circumstances, an act that raised further concerns about political shielding.
This dark chapter in Kerala’s history, involving mass murder, religious radicalization, and foreign-funded extremism, remains a stark reminder of the dangers of ideological infiltration and political complicity. The truth of Marad goes beyond local tensions, it is a case study of how transnational jihadist agendas can manifest through domestic actors. The recent attack on the Ayyappa temple may also have similar links. However, the media and the Left government in Kerala have strategically ignored the incident.
Comments