Prominent Dravidian Stockist news outlet The News Minute (TNM), which is popularly perceived as the unofficial mouthpiece of the DMK, has published an article in which it tries to establish that the village of Thiruchendurai belongs to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board and not the legitimate owners of the land.
There has been a furore over the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board listing the entire village of Thiruchendurai in Tiruchirappalli district as its property, including a a temple and its lands.
This came to light after a man named Rajagopal had gone to the Joint III Sub-Registrar office in Trichy to sell his agricultural land that he had in Thiruchendurai. He was told by the sub-registrar that he cannot sell his land as it belongs to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board. The sub-registrar had told him that he has to get a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board office in Chennai to sell the land.
Apparently, the Waqf Board has sent a letter to the Registration Department along with documents that the entire village belongs to them and that those who come to register a deed for a land in the village, should get a NOC from them.
As the news snowballed into a controversy, the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board ‘allowed’ property-related transactions in the Tiruchendurai village for the time being.
Reporting on the matter, TNM quoted the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board Chairman Abdul Rahman who has claimed that the records available with the Waqf Board show 389.03 acres of the land in Thiruchendurai as its property.
“For most of the properties, the survey number is mentioned. But for some, the records available with us only mention the extent of the land owned, and not the specific details. The survey numbers and other information are available with the Tamil Nadu State Archives. We have requested the department to share those details, based on which we will decide on the next course of action”, he was quoted saying in TNM’s report written by Senior News Editor Shabbir Ahmed.
He was also quoted saying that they have now “allowed” the registration of properties in the village “as of now”.
Chairman Abdul Rahman also noted that just because there is a temple on the land, it cannot be decided that it is not Waqf land adding that the land in the name of Waqf can “still be used for public utility”.
“We have come across certain documents which show that when philanthropists donate large amounts of lands to Waqf institutions, they sometimes allocate portions of that land for other uses, such as the establishment of temples and ponds, etc. This could have happened in Thiruchenthurai as well. Just because there is a temple on the land, we cannot simply decide that it is not Waqf land. Besides, any land in the name of Waqf can still be used for public utility.”, Abdul Rahman was quoted in the report by TNM.
TNM also legitimized the Waqf Board’s claims stating “TNM also verified the Gazette Notification number 570 to confirm that the land had been registered as Waqf property on June 27, 1956.”
It further further add weightage to the Waqf Board’s claims stating that Waqf Assets Management System of India, managed by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, lists 389.03 acres of land at Thiruchenthurai village as Waqf Board property.
However, not a word has been written about the land owners who already have the revenue department documents including patta, chitta, adangal, revenue ‘A’ registration, encumbrance certificate, etc.
On the other hand, it went on to turn the tables portraying those fighting for their land rights as if it is the BJP which is trying to give a communalise the issue.
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