Draconian Waqf law claims 400 acres of Christian land in Ernakulam: Churches hold massive protests, demand govt action.

VSB | Ernakulam | Nov 11, 2024:: Massive protests have erupted in Ernakulam’s Munambam, sparked by the Waqf Board’s claim to 404 acres of land owned by over 600 families, predominantly Christian. There are few Hindu families who haven fallen victim to such draconian Waqf exercises as reports came in. The situation escalated on Sunday as the influential Syro-Malabar Church organized solidarity events across 1,000 churches in Kerala, demonstrating unity and support for the affected families. The All Kerala Catholic Congress, the official community organization of the Church, took the lead in these protests, advocating for the rights of the families facing potential displacement.  Affected Hindus also joined in protest in the huge Christian gathering.

Special prayers were held in churches after Sunday Mass to show solidarity with the residents protesting the Munambam land dispute. The controversy revolves around the Waqf Board’s claim to 404 acres of land owned by over 600 families, predominantly Christian, in Cherai and Munambam villages. Despite possessing registered deeds and land tax payment receipts, these families are facing the threat of displacement.

Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, the head of the Syro-Malabar Church, has urged the Union and State governments to intervene and resolve the ongoing issue in Munambam, where hundreds of Christian families are facing the threat of displacement due to a land dispute with the Waqf Board. After visiting the hunger strikers in Munambam on Saturday, Archbishop Thattil emphasized that this is a humanitarian issue that requires a humane and democratic solution, in line with the Constitution.

Archbishop Dr. Joseph Kalathiparambil of the Varapuzha Latin Archdiocese has joined the chorus of voices calling for a peaceful resolution to the Munambam land dispute. He’s urging both the central and state governments to take a moral and humane stance on the issue, emphasizing that the land in question doesn’t belong to the Waqf Board ¹. This assertion is backed by previous discussions between the Varapuzha Archdiocese and government representatives.

The Syro-Malabar Church has stepped into the controversy surrounding the Waqf Board’s claim to 404 acres of land in Munambam, Kerala, which has sparked discontent among the Christian population. The church’s intervention comes as both the LDF and UDF oppose the BJP-led Centre’s Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024.

However, the Kerala Minister for Waqf and Haj Pilgrimage, V. Abdurahiman, has reassured the public that the government won’t evict anyone from Munambam, stating, “The government will resolve the issue and has no plans to evict anyone.” He emphasized that the situation should not be portrayed as a communal issue.

Even then,  the protesters from the Munambam Bhoo Samrakshana Samiti have vowed to continue their demonstrations if the issue remains unresolved. This development highlights the ongoing tensions between different religious groups in Kerala, particularly regarding land ownership and governance.

While more than 600 families at Munambam in Ernakulam are protesting for their rights on the land in which they have been living for years, over 200 Muslim families in Chavakkad in Thrissur are facing a similar crisis as the Kerala Waqf Board has staked claim on their land.

Though the residents filed a complaint with the Chief Minister’s Office, they are yet to get a favourable response. Now, the residents of this coastal region have approached the High Court seeking intervention.

The Chavakkad Waqf controversy in Thrissur has exposed how the Waqf Board’s alleged land grabbing agenda has harmed Muslim interests, much like its impact on Hindus and Christians. This incident highlights the Board’s potentially sinister and unlawful tactics, which have devastating consequences for all communities involved under the threat of Land Jihad.

“Not just Munambam, Waqf Board is also now claiming 600 acres in Thaliparamba town in Kerala“, the  Mathrubhumi reports quoting Union Minister Kiren Rijiju.

Earlier, Waqf tried to encroach an entire Hindu village including  1,500-year-old Sundareswarar Temple and the entire Hindu village of Thiruchendurai in Tiruchirappalli district. Islam originated in 610 CE, when the Prophet Muhammad received his first revelation from the archangel Gabriel on Mount Jabal an-Nour in Mecca. This is a story of 1446 AH years less than 1500 yrs. But, with the exercise of Waqf in India, Muslims can claim any land and landed property beyond 1500 yrs, 2000 yrs, 5000 yrs and even  eternity.

Recently, Haveri in Karnataka saw a communal spate of violence with a Waqf notification which was stopped later.  Karnataka State Board of Waqfs had claimed ownership of approximately 1,500 acres of ancestral land belonging to farmers in Honvada village, Vijayapura district, North Karnataka. These farmers mostly belong to Hindu community. Again, District Waqf Board had claimed ownership of Haveri District Court premises, which sits on a 20-acre land, and 19-acre Hindu burial ground in Tadas village of Shiggaon taluk in the district.

It is dangerous that the draconian Waqf Act has empowered the Muslim radicals in India to grab any piece of land from Hindus, Christians, anybody, even Muslims at any time.

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