KANNUR: The controversy over a 25-acre parcel of waqf land leased to Sir Syed College has drawn attention to the disappearance of more than 250 acres of waqf property in and around Taliparamba.
According to the official waqf register, the board holds 339.17 acres in the region. However, the current managing committee is reportedly in possession of only 82.72 acres — leaving over 250 acres unaccounted for in a preliminary review.
According to the Waqf Protection Committee, several prominent establishments — including the Taliparamba Municipal Office, Taliparamba Cooperative Hospital, and large sections of Syed Nagar, Farooq Nagar, and Manna, including Andakala in Karimbathu and Sadhu Mutti — are located on waqf land. In response, the committee, based in Kannur, has launched an initiative to safeguard these properties.
Over the years, hundreds of houses and both private and government institutions have been established on the disputed land. In 2022, a report prepared by three officials appointed by the Waqf Board — on a complaint by the Waqf Protection Committee — was submitted to the district collector. However, no further action was taken.
An audit conducted by the Waqf Board, led by E K Karunakaran, revealed that the income and expenditure records of the Seethi Sahib Higher Secondary School, under the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust, were missing from the financial statements submitted to the board. Citing these irregularities, the report recommended an audit of the school’s accounts, spanning from 2013-21.
The divisional officer acted on this recommendation, and the district survey officer was tasked with measuring and assessing the disputed land. Though notices were served to those residing in this areas, there was no follow-up.
“The recovery of waqf property may lead to further legal proceedings,” said K P M Riyas, president of the Waqf Protection Committee. “There are indications that recovering the land lost by the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust will be challenging. Historically, there were 604 acres of waqf land in Taliparamba. Today, the Waqf Board has documentation for only 339.17 acres. Much of this, located in areas like Taliparamba, Pattuvam, and Kutteri, was endowed before independence. Unfortunately, during the early years of the Muthawalli Trust management, large portions were distributed among relatives. Now, those occupying the land are unwilling to return it.”
On Thursday, the Waqf Protection Committee staged a protest march in Taliparamba, demanding a lawful and amicable resolution. “We urge the government to take proper legal steps to reclaim these lands and restore them to the Waqf Board,” Riyas said.
Meanwhile, the Sir Syed College land row has sparked unrest within the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML). A faction of party workers has called for the immediate intervention of IUML state president Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal.
In an open letter, local IUML leaders expressed dismay over the lease granted to the college. “The court had earlier found that Sir Syed College belongs to the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust. Yet, CDMEA president Allamkulam Mahmood is attempting to transfer waqf land to the college,” the letter stated.
IUML Kannur district president Abdul Kareem Cheleri, however, dismissed these claims. He accused the CPM and Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan of trying to exploit the situation for political gain. “The Muslim League has no objection to the fact that the land is owned by the Taliparamba Jamaat,” he said. “Just because some League leaders are currently associated with Sir Syed College does not mean the college is owned by the party.”
INL weighs in on controversy
INL state general secretary Kasim Irikkur says the Taliparamba waqf land issue has become nationally significant amid the ongoing debate on the new Waqf Act
To expose misuse of waqf properties, Union Home Minister Amit Shah cited the Farooq College case in Munambam and accused the Cannanore District Muslim Educational Association of taking over land from the mosque committee, he said