KOCHI: The Association of Christian Trusts and Services (ACTS) has urged the UDF leadership to remove Waqf Board chairman M C Mayin Haji, alleging that his statements on the Munambam land dispute could create communal divisions.
ACTS general secretary George Sebastian said Mayin Haji’s repeated assertions that the land in Munambam was waqf property were a challenge to the people of the coastal region. He urged the chief minister and the IUML leadership to break their silence and clarify their positions on the issue.
Sebastian claimed that several moderate leaders within the Muslim League had expressed reservations about appointing Mayin Haji as the chairman because of his alleged extremist positions.
He said some of them had shared their concerns with him and alleged that the appointment had raised suspicions about possible ulterior motives, adding that it had cast a shadow over the secular credentials of the state.
He said that the High Court had issued an interim order on his public interest litigation which sought the dissolution of the Waqf Board constituted by the previous government allegedly in violation of rules and the formation of a new board in accordance with the prescribed criteria.
Sebastian said he had approached the court because the Waqf Board had been a major obstacle to resolving the Munambam issue. He said the situation has now turned counterproductive despite the efforts to address the problem.Warning that ACTS would intensify its demands if Mayin Haji continued with his position, Sebastian said the organisation would seek the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the Waqf Board.
It would also approach the authorities concerned seeking action against Mayin Haji over various allegations against him, he said. Sebastian warned that a strong public agitation would follow if the government failed to find a lasting solution to the Munambam dispute.
ACTS would also pursue the cases pending before the Kerala High Court and the Supreme Court, he added. He urged the state government to adopt a prudent approach to resolve the issue.
The demand comes amid discontent within sections of the Muslim community over the reconstitution of the Board.