THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: An article in the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) mouthpiece, Organiser, has said that it is not the Waqf Board but the Catholic Church of India which is the largest landholder in the country.
This comes at a time when BJP leaders, especially in Kerala, are celebrating the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill as a 'gift' to the Munambam protesters led by the Catholic Church.
The article 'Who has more land in India? The Catholic Church vs Waqf Board Debate' published on April 3 said: "For many years, there has been a common belief that the Waqf Board is the second largest landowner in India after the government, however, this claim does not align with the actual data on land ownership in the country. The Catholic Church of India holds the distinction of being the largest non-governmental landowner, possessing vast tracts of land spread across the country."
The article also said that the Catholic Church owns around 17.29 crore acres (7 crore hectares) of land throughout the country.
"The total estimated value of these properties is around Rs 20,000 crore, making the Church a significant player in India's real estate landscape. As of 2012, the Catholic Church has 2,457 hospital dispensaries, 240 medical or nursing colleges, 28 general colleges, 5 engineering colleges, 3,765 secondary schools, 7,319 primary schools and 3,187 nursery schools in the field of education and healthcare sector in the country. Much of its land was acquired during British rule. In 1927, the British administration passed the Indian Church Act, facilitating large-scale land grants to the Church," it said.
The Organiser article also pointed to a major contention, whether some of the land was obtained through questionable means. It also alleged: "Many reports suggest that Church-run schools and hospitals lure economically disadvantaged individuals by providing free or low-cost services, and in turn, pressure them to convert to Christianity.
"Several instances have emerged where landowners from tribal and rural communities were encouraged - or in some cases coerced - into converting to Christianity, after which their lands were taken over by Church-affiliated organisations. While the Church denies these allegations, multiple cases of illegal land acquisitions linked to conversion activities have surfaced in various states, fuelling concerns about the role of missionary institutions in India's socio-religious landscape. Several cases have surfaced where tribal lands, once belonging to indigenous communities, were gradually transferred to Church authorities under various pretexts," the article went on to say.
The article assumes significance as it came at a time when the Waqf bill, subsequently passed by both Houses of Parliament, was being debated. Are these churches in Kerala set to come in the line of RSS' barrage next? We will have to wait and see.
