In Kerala’s Ernakulam district, 400 Christian and 200 Hindu families are battling to keep their ancestral homes as the Waqf Board asserts ownership over land that their communities have occupied for generations. The properties in question lie in the coastal regions of Munambam and Cherai, areas historically inhabited by the Latin Catholic fishing community. The dispute, centered around the legal status of the land, has revived decades-old tensions and brought significant distress to the residents.
The controversy began with a petition claiming that the homes stand on Waqf property, initially gifted in 1950 by a wealthy Muslim benefactor named Muhammed Siddhique Sait. The 404-acre land parcel was donated to Farook College in Kozhikode with the stipulation that any income generated from it would serve educational purposes. The land has since changed hands many times, with numerous transactions occurring over the decades. The families had been under the impression that their land ownership was legitimate and recognized by the courts since the Kerala High Court granted legal possession to Farook College in 1975.
In 2008, a renewed dispute emerged when the Justice Nissar Commission, appointed to investigate alleged mismanagement of Waqf properties, identified the land as Waqf property. However, residents assert they were not consulted, and they were unaware of the commission’s findings until the land was officially listed as Waqf property in 2019. When residents attempted to pay their property taxes in 2022, they were informed that the land was considered Waqf property, leading to shock and renewed protests. Many found themselves unable to conduct transactions such as taking loans due to legal uncertainties.
Despite a court intervention allowing residents to pay taxes, the Waqf Board listed the residents as “encroachers,” aggravating the situation. The issue gained widespread attention when Major Archbishop Andrews Thazhath of the Syro-Malabar Church and the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC) sent letters to the Joint Secretary of the Lok Sabha Secretariat. They appealed for an amendment to the Waqf Act of 1995, calling the Waqf Board’s claims unjust and unconstitutional. The KCBC insisted that the law should be amended to protect these families from displacement.
Pinarayi Govt Passes Resolution Opposing Waqf Amendment Bill
In a parallel development, the Kerala Legislative Assembly, on 14 October 2024, unanimously passed a resolution urging the Union government to withdraw the Waqf Amendment Bill 2024. The resolution argued that the bill undermines secular principles and threatens the democratic values enshrined in the federal structure of the Constitution. It contended that the proposed amendments would weaken the authority of state Waqf Boards and infringe on state rights by replacing elected members with a board of nominated officials.
Another appeasement story from Al Kerala !!
In Kochi, 400 Christian and 200 Hindu families are fighting to keep their ancestral homes, but the Waqf Board is stripping them of their land. Instead of defending these families, the communist govt focuses on opposing the Waqf… pic.twitter.com/0U17WqqLP2— Pratheesh Viswanath (@pratheesh_Hind) October 14, 2024
Critics argue that the state government is diverting attention from the plight of the affected families by opposing the bill. This move is seen as a political strategy aimed at securing minority votes, rather than addressing the genuine concerns of those at risk of displacement. Observers point out that the assembly’s resolution fails to acknowledge the hardships faced by residents, some of whom trace their lineage in Munambam back over a century.
The Waqf dispute is not limited to Cherai and Munambam, as similar cases of Waqf claims over properties have been reported across India. Without intervention, families who have held land for generations could face eviction. As the affected families continue their legal struggle to retain their ancestral land, questions about the fairness and enforcement of the Waqf Act remain a source of controversy and legal complexity in the region.
TNM Upset With Hindu Groups Standing In Solidarity With Christian Families
As the Christian families in Munambam, Kerala, continue their struggle against the Waqf Board’s claims on their ancestral land, The News Minute (TNM) seems more concerned with Hindu groups lending support to these distressed communities than addressing the genuine land rights issue. TNM’s coverage repeatedly emphasizes the presence of right-wing Hindu groups, like BJP-affiliated organizations, framing their involvement as an opportunistic attempt to exploit religious divisions, while glossing over the real fears and struggles of families at risk of losing their homes.
Instead of focusing on the alarming situation, TNM appears to be more troubled by the involvement of groups such as the BJP’s Minority Morcha and Yuva Morcha, which have openly supported the residents. By portraying this support as a calculated move to sway the Christian community towards the Sangh Parivar’s agenda, TNM diminishes the fact that many families have found allies in these groups during a time of need.
The presence of Hindu groups at the protests and their backing for the residents’ demands for Waqf law amendments is characterized by TNM as a communal ploy. Yet, the residents themselves have welcomed anyone who stands by them in their fight for justice, with some openly stating they will support those who help, regardless of their traditional political affiliations. The arrival of these groups is simply a response to a dire situation where the affected families, predominantly Christians, have felt ignored by the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and other political entities that have failed to address their plight meaningfully.
TNM’s narrative seems to accuse the Hindu groups of attempting to frame the dispute as a conflict between Christians and Muslims while dismissing the legitimate concerns that the Waqf laws pose a threat to the rights of non-Muslim communities. Critics argue that this seems intent on shielding the state government and other political forces from accountability for their failure to protect the rights of the affected families.
Additionally, the news outlet’s criticism extends to the online campaigns led by Christian organizations like the Christian Association & Alliance for Social Action (CASA), which have been vocal about the need to amend Waqf laws. Instead of recognizing CASA’s efforts to advocate for the residents, TNM labels the group’s campaigns as potentially communal, thereby diverting attention away from the broader issue of unjust land claims.
The residents of Munambam have made it clear that they are not interested in communalizing the issue but are seeking allies in their fight for justice. For TNM to frame this solidarity as opportunistic or divisive only undermines the real battle at hand – securing the rights of families who have lived on this land for generations.
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