The Waqf Board has claimed 404 acres of land along the seashore in Munambam, Kerala, a location 38 kilometers from Kochi in the Ernakulam district, where 610 Hindu-Christian families currently reside. Based on the reports from Dainik Bhaskar, these families, consisting of 510 Christians and 100 Hindus, have been engaged in a legal battle for this land, which they purchased from the Farooq College Management decades ago. At the time of purchase, the area was flooded, and the families made it habitable by filling the land with sand from the sea. They had been paying taxes on the land until 2022, only to discover later that it was not legally theirs. The families now face difficulties, as they cannot mortgage the land for their children’s education or marriages, with its value being deemed practically worthless.
The legal struggle over the 404-acre Munambam property has been ongoing for nearly 60 years. In 2019, the Waqf Board registered the land as Waqf property, and now it is demanding that the residents vacate the land. This issue has sparked protests in the area for the past two years, which have intensified recently due to the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. This bill, expected to be passed during the next budget session, has raised hopes among the people of Munambam. They are conducting prayer meetings in churches, urging Parliament to pass the bill. They believe that under the current Waqf Act, they are unable to challenge the Board’s claim, but the new bill would prevent the Waqf from taking possession of their land.
Residents of Munambam reported that two years ago, the revenue department informed them that the land they had occupied was not legally theirs. Joseph Benny, the convener of the Samar Samiti (Action Council) and a member of the local fishermen community, shared, “Most of the people here belong to the fishing community, and I was born here as well. We have valid land documents, and we’ve been paying land taxes for years. However, in 2022, we were told that we would no longer be able to pay the tax and that we couldn’t sell or mortgage the land.”
Benny continued, “After the tax payment ban was imposed, we approached the High Court. The single bench ruled in our favor, granting us all rights to the land. However, the division bench stayed that decision, and since 2022, we haven’t been able to pay the tax. There are several ongoing legal cases in the single bench, division bench, and the Waqf Tribunal of the Kerala High Court regarding the Munambam property dispute.”
Stephen V Devasya, a 52-year-old logistics professional, stated, “Our ancestors have lived here for generations. We purchased the land from Farooq College, and we have all the documents to prove it. We’ve been paying taxes on the land for 33 years. Now, after all these years, the Waqf Board is claiming it as their property. We can’t even challenge this claim in court, as cases like these must be taken to the Waqf Tribunal.”
You might be wondering, if the people bought the land from Farooq College, how is the Waqf Board suddenly claiming ownership? This is a valid question, and to understand the situation better, it’s important to look at the history of Munambam.
Omana Yayi, 68, a resident of Munambam for 50 years, shared her experience of how the land was transformed. “When we bought the land from the college, it was completely submerged in water. We used to go fishing at midnight, and on our way back, we would carry sand on our heads. We filled the land with sand to drain the water, making it habitable. Now, suddenly, where did the Waqf Board come from?”
Similarly, 65-year-old Cecil Antony’s story reflects the same struggle. “I’ve been living here for almost 42 years. I didn’t have the money to buy land initially, but I worked hard day and night and saved enough to purchase it from Farooq College. Back then, we had no idea about the Waqf Board. Now, the land’s value has depreciated so much that it’s worth nothing.”
56-year-old Ambujakan expressed the emotional toll of the situation, saying, “We haven’t slept properly for the past two and a half years. Our revenue rights were revoked. As fishermen, we’re always on the move, going to the sea at all hours. People with homes can sleep peacefully, but we don’t have that peace because we’re always worried about losing our land.”
Benny Kallungal, 62, recalled his childhood in Munambam, stating, “I moved here when I was ten. Our family lived in thatched houses, and we fought a land case with Farooq College since I was a child. In 1975, the college won the case, and we later bought the land at double the price. We hold the rightful ownership of the land.”
Lastly, Sindhu, a 54-year-old daily wage laborer, lamented, “I don’t have the money for my children’s education or marriages. I wanted to take a loan by mortgaging the land, but now I can’t even do that.”
In June 2024, Joseph Benny and seven others filed a petition in the Kerala High Court challenging the Waqf Board’s claim on the land. The petitioners argued that the Waqf Tribunal should not have the authority to rule on land disputes involving non-Islamic communities. They asserted that civil courts should handle such cases, as the Waqf system pertains to Islamic personal law and cannot extend to land matters concerning other religious communities.
The Kerala High Court has asked the state and central governments to respond to the petition by November 1, 2024. Meanwhile, two petitions filed by Farooq College Management against the Waqf Board were scheduled for a hearing in the Waqf Tribunal on December 6, but the hearing has been postponed until December 27.
On November 23, Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan held an online meeting with Waqf Board representatives, urging them to halt any notices or actions against the people of Munambam. The CM later assured that individuals with valid documents would not be evicted from their land and that the government is working to find a solution that avoids leaving the residents in uncertainty.
In a significant political move, the Kerala Assembly unanimously passed a resolution on October 14 opposing the Centre’s new Waqf (Amendment) Bill. Both the ruling Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) expressed concerns that the new law would undermine the powers of state governments and local Waqf boards.
On October 30, Suresh Gopi, the only BJP MP from Kerala and a Union minister, visited Munambam to meet with the protesting residents. During an election rally in Wayanad on November 11, he stated, “The injustice happening in Munambam is not isolated; it’s happening across Bharat. We will put an end to it. Tough measures will be taken, and the BJP will pass a new bill in Parliament to protect the Constitution.”
Regarding the Waqf Board’s claim over the land, Kerala Assembly Opposition Leader and Congress leader VD Satheesan commented on December 3, “The 404 acres of land that the Waqf Board is claiming as its property was originally given to Farooq College as a gift. The college sold the land and received money in return. So, how can the Waqf claim ownership now? This is not Waqf land. The Sangh Parivar is trying to create division between Islamists and Christians in Kerala.”
The residents of Munambam are optimistic about the central government’s proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. They argue that the current Waqf Act limits their ability to contest the Waqf Board’s claims over their land. To support the bill’s passage, the people of Munambam have been holding prayer meetings in churches. They believe that once the new law is enacted, the Waqf Board will no longer be able to assert ownership over their land.
The ongoing land disputes involving the Waqf Board in Kerala and Karnataka highlight a growing nationwide concern over expansive claims on properties that significantly impact local communities. In Kerala’s Munambam, 610 Hindu-Christian families face the risk of eviction over a 404-acre land dispute, while in Karnataka, similar Waqf Board claims have unsettled over 15,000 acres, including ancestral farmlands, temples, and even government properties. The case in Vijayapura district, particularly Honavada village, exemplifies the scale of the issue, with over 1,500 acres now contested as Waqf property.
Although opposition efforts in Karnataka led to the withdrawal of certain claims, the broader implications remain alarming, as such assertions challenge generational land rights and disrupt livelihoods without adequate legal recourse. These incidents underline the urgent need for comprehensive legal reforms, such as the proposed Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, to address the concerns of affected communities and ensure fairness and transparency in resolving land ownership disputes. Without such measures, the unchecked expansion of Waqf claims through land jihad poses a persistent threat to diverse communities across Bharat.
