KOCHI: It’s scary here at night,” mutters four-year-old Aizza Mariam. “There are so many rats, snakes, and mosquitoes. Rats have bitten my cousins. I am scared.” Aizza points to the community kitchen drain, implying that’s where the rats and snakes come from. “Please ask them to rebuild our house. I don’t want to stay here,” she pleads.
A house remains a distant dream for the little one, who has been living like a refugee along with her parents and five other families at K M Muhhamed Community Hall in Mattancherry. At a time when Muslims celebrate Eid al-Adha at their homes with grand feasts, these families have little to rejoice; they only have prayers to the authorities to help them rebuild their ‘Big Ben House’, where they lived earlier.
These families — about 35 people — were shifted to the corporation-run community hall after a wall of the 150-year-old Big Ben House in Kombara collapsed on October 16, 2021. The two-storey building, which is registered under the Waqf Board, was given to these families on a monthly rent of Rs 50 as per an agreement signed five decades ago.
The six families — about 30 people — used to stay at the Big Ben House on a rental basis. Now, the community hall appears like a refugee camp, with a common kitchen and one washroom for all. “Ever since we moved here, the children have been down with fever or other diseases,” says Shahana, resident. “Rats are a big problem, there are many here. We start our day by cleaning rat droppings in the cooking area and utensils. Three people were recently bitten by the rats.”
Another resident, Soumi, echoes similar sentiments, pointing to a drinking water tap near a broken septic tank. “Deputy Mayor K A Ansiya is the local ward councillor. She had visited here once, and we showed her the broken tank. Yet, no action has been taken,” she says.
Ansiya refutes Soumi’s version, stating that she was informed about the septic tank over phone just a day ago. “I have discussed the matter with the health inspector. Officials will visit the site to inspect, take cost estimations, and initiate work soon after the Eid holidays,” she says.
“You must note that we have been accommodating the families at the community hall on humanitarian grounds. They have been staying there free of cost. The corporation has been paying the electricity and water bills as well. The mayor and I are looking for ways to arrange CSR funds to renovate the Big Ben House.”
Ramlath, another resident, says the families tried to move out to other houses on rent, but they came at a huge cost. “The men of our families are daily wagers. The education of the children and the household expenses are managed with what they earn daily,” she adds.
Shihab Ashraf, a daily wager whose parents had been staying at the Big Ben House for 52 years, says the residents have approached “every possible official” with the plea to rebuild the Big Ben House. “Though we stayed there on rent, it was our home,” he adds. “No one is volunteering to repair the building, as it is owned by the Waqf Board.”
‘Waqf Board’s responsibility’
Shihab is right. Corporation officials maintain that public money cannot be used to rebuild a private building belonging to the Waqf Board. It would cost at least `20 lakh to rebuild the structure. “The board owns the land and the building. It is their responsibility to restore the structure,” says corporation councillor K A Manaf.
“However, we are trying to chalk out a solution. Earlier, Cochin Shipyard and South Indian Bank had come forward to help, but they backed out. The issue has been brought to the MP (Hibi Eden) and MLA (K J Maxi).”
‘Big sharks eyeing the house’
There are at least 62 properties under the Waqf Board in the Mattancherry area. Most of these properties have been rented out to families. The rents of some buildings, including Big Ben House, are collected by the M K S Aboobacker Trust under the board.
An official of the trust, who requests anonymity, claims the Waqf Board does not have the funds to renovate Big Ben House. “The board has no objection to any agency coming forward to sponsor the work,” he says. “However, the tenants will have to pay the new rent as decided by the trust.”
The official alleges that the Big Ben House ended up in shambles as the tenants had failed to do timely maintenance work. “Moreover, they did not pay any rent from 2011 to 2021,” he adds. “Following this, a case is going on in court. In 2019, the Waqf board issued a notice to these families, terminating their rental agreement.”
The families rebut the charge, claiming that they were willing to pay the rent, but the trust’s manager refused to collect the money. “Whenever we went to pay our rent, the manager would say they did not want our nikka-picha (paltry sum),” says Shihab.
“The Waqf Board had called us to discuss the matter. A new agreement – with a revised rent of `500 and a 5 per cent yearly increase – was agreed upon.” Another resident, Aamina, says the families were hoping that the work on the building would start soon. “Nothing happened. Our house has turned into a dump yard, a shelter for stray dogs,” she sighs.
Meanwhile, a source familiar with the issue points out that the Waqf Board can earn a “decent amount” if given out for rent to affluent families after the reconstruction. “This could be a reason for the inaction,” he says, requesting anonymity. “Also, there have been rumors that some big sharks in the area had their eyes on the property. They are keen to convert Big Ben House into a homestay for tourists.”