KOCHI: At a time when the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has sparked debates and discussions across the country, the plight of 614 families in Munambam who are spending sleepless nights due to the Waqf Act raises questions on the country’s secular values and faith in the Constitution, said Vellappally Natesan, the general secretary of the Sree Narayana Dharma Paripalana Yogam (SNDP).
“The land belongs to those who lived here for several generations. There are no concerns about the 4,000-odd people who are on the verge of losing their land overnight. This is aimed at catering to the minority vote bank. At least some discussion over the issue happened because an overwhelming majority of the people affected in Munambam belong to the Latin Catholic community,” Natesan said in an editorial published in Yoganadam, the mouthpiece of SNDP Yogam.
The land belongs to the ordinary fisherfolk. While a large majority of the people belong to the Latin Catholic community, about 200 affected families belong to Ezhava, Dheevara and Kudumbi communities. There is only one Muslim family in the entire land where the Waqf Board has staked claims, said the SNDP supremo. “A large section of the mainstream media and the political leadership is ignoring the issue despite the Church leadership and priests having come out to protest against the Waqf claim at Munambam,” he pointed out.
As per Islamic law, the land dedicated to God by a believer is known as Waqf. Such land when given through word of mouth or a written document belongs to the Waqf Board.
“The Waqf Board has unlimited powers to handle such properties. The amendments brought to the Waqf Act by the Central Government in 1995 complicated matters further. So, if a Muslim believer says he’s giving a plot of land as Waqf, the Waqf Board can acquire the property without even filing a notice, and the affected parties can’t even approach the courts. They can only approach the Waqf council with a complaint. The decision of the council, which is filled with Muslim members, is final,” said Vellapally.
In Tamil Nadu, the Waqf Board has claimed ownership of the 1,500-year-old Sundareswarar Temple and the entire village of Thiruchendurai in Tiruchirappalli district. “Thiruchendurai and Munambam are just two examples,” he added.