KOZHIKODE/KOCHI : The Waqf Tribunal on Monday decided to implead the residents of Munambam in a case filed by the management committee of Farook College. The tribunal allowed the petition filed by the representatives of the Munambam residents to hear their side too when the hearing begins in the case.
The Farook College management committee approached the tribunal against the action of the Kerala Waqf Board in 2019 to include the disputed 404 acres of land at Munambam in the waqf registry. The action was based on the report of the Nizar Commission appointed by the V S Achuthanandan government.
In its plea, the management argued that the land was given as a gift by Siddique Sait who earlier owned the property and therefore, should not be enlisted as a waqf property. However, the Waqf Board maintains that as per the documents, the land is classified as its property. The hearing in the case will begin before the tribunal on April 8.
Meanwhile, the move has failed to make an impact among the agitating Munambam residents. Joseph Benny, convener of Munambam Bhoo Samrakshana Samithi, said any decision by the tribunal doesn’t matter now as the new laws make the body redundant.
“We had earlier been refused by the tribunal when we approached it with the same demand. Two months ago, we submitted a writ petition in the court which then directed the tribunal to implead our representatives too. We were told that we would be impleaded on March 3, but it didn’t happen. What we want now is the Union and state governments to restore our revenue rights without playing petty politics,” he said.