IUML seeks Kerala govt intervention to resolve Munambam land issue

Kozhikode: Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) leader P K Kunhalikutty on Saturday sought the Kerala government's intervention to resolve the Munambam land issue and said the Muslim organisations will support its decision.

Kunhalikutty, the national general secretary of IUML, said an immediate intervention was needed as any delay would enable communal groups to promote divisive sentiments by targeting specific communities.

"It is actually a technical issue and the residents are not guilty in any way. During the tenure of VS Achuthanandan as Chief Minister technical glitches occurred. The state government should take the lead to resolve the issue," the IUML leader said, adding that the government can resolve the Munambam issue within a single day.

He further said that in a meeting of Muslim organisations convened by IUML state president Panakkad Sadikali Shihab Thangal on Friday, the general opinion was that the government should initiate steps for an out-of-court settlement to resolve the issue.

His statement comes amidst growing resentment among a significant portion of the Christian population regarding the LDF and UDF's stance on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, introduced by the BJP-led Centre.

The two fronts had recently unanimously passed a resolution in the state assembly opposing the BJP-led Centre's Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which challenges provisions in the existing Waqf law.

In support of the bill, the Church has alleged that numerous properties belonging to Christian families for generations in the villages of Cherai and Munambam in the Ernakulam district have been unlawfully claimed by the Waqf Board using provisions of the existing Act.

In Cherai and Munambam villages in Ernakulam district, residents have alleged that the Waqf Board was unlawfully laying claim to their land and properties, despite the people having registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.

According to the residents, who are protesting against it, their land was given to Farooque College Kozhikode in 1950 for educational purposes.

They say it was not Waqf land and they paid for the land to the college management.

The case relating to the property dispute is pending in the high court.

Leader of Opposition V D Satheesan had recently said that his party’s declared stand is that the controversial land at Munambam does not belong to Waqf board and that the government can solve the issue within 10 minutes if it really wanted.

Earlier, on Monday, the Syro-Malabar Church-backed Deepika daily, in its editorial, attacked the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF, accusing them of passing a unanimous resolution in the state Assembly "to protect the Waqf law without seeing the tears of the affected people."

The Church was discontented with the actions of the LDF and the UDF, as the Assembly passed the resolution despite the Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala and the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council having sent letters to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) regarding the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, requesting amendments to the Waqf Act of 1995.