Waqf land in Kerala's Munambam snowballs into a controversy as bypolls approach

Thiruvananthapuram: A stir by around 610 families of Munambam coastal village on the suburbs of Kochi in Kerala against the claim by Waqf board on their land is snowballing into a hot political controversy amidst the high voltage bypolls campaigns in the state.

The BJP is trying to cash-in on the resentment of the people in the Christian dominated region against the ruling CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front and opposition Congress-led United Democratic Front, which are opposing the Waqf Amendment bill.

Meanwhile, the UDF is trying to put up a defensive by blaming the LDF for the plight of the people, mostly fishermen. LDF in a bid to pacify the agitators assured that their claim over land will be protected even if the outcome of the ongoing case on the matter turns out to be against their interest.

The BJP recently got a fillip with the Catholic church hailing the saffron party in its mouthpiece for bringing in Waqf Amendment bill and also criticised the LDF and the UDF for unanimously passing a resolution in the Kerala Assembly against the bill.

The BJP-Minority Morcha is organising a demonstration in front of the government secretariat on Saturday. Union minister of state and BJP's lone MP from Kerala Suresh Gopi visited the affected people who are on an indefinite hunger strike that entered the 19th day on Friday, and assured centre's support.

The ongoing row started in 2019 with the Waqf board staking claim over the land citing that it was Waqf land that was donated to Farook college in Kozhikode by one Siddique Sait in 1950. By 2022, the families were unable to pay land tax at the village office.

Though the state government intervened and allowed them to pay tax, a forum under the banner Waqf Samrakshana Samathi (Waqf protection forum) moved court against the government decision and got it stalled. The case is still pending before the court.

Joseph Benny, one of the affected parties, told DH that all of the families were staying there over the last many generations and had acquired the land through the due local process.

"It was the Waqf Act of 1995 that has created the issue and even leading to a communal divide. Hence we are happy with the BJP for amending the law. The CPI(M) government is backing the Waqf board's claims that it is Waqf land, which we can't agree," Benny told DH.

He also said that while the land in question was initially 404 acres, owing to coastal erosion it is only 114 acres now and 60 acres wetland.

In a bid to resist BJP's bid to cash in on the matter, Opposition leader V D Satheesan said on Friday that the UDF was strongly backing the Munambam residents as they are undoubtedly the owners of the land. He also said that it was during the term of the Left front government in 1995 that the land in dispute was initially considered as Waqf land. The present LDF government could direct the Waqf Board not to stake claim over the property, he said.

The LDF government is delaying a decision citing the case pending in the court.