In a shocking revelation, it was found that the Waqf Board of Tamil Nadu allegedly claimed ownership of Anangakaundanputhur village which is located in the Komarapalayam Panchayat of Sathyamangalam, Erode district in Tamil Nadu. The land allocated to the Arunthathiyar community (Scheduled Caste) has become a source of contention between the community and the Waqf Board.
In 1980, the government of Tamil Nadu provided 73 families from the Arunthathiyar community in Anganakaundan Puthur with alternative land measuring three-and-a-half acres. This action was taken in response to the flooding that had impacted these families. The Adi Dravidar Welfare Department had given each family a parcel of land measuring 3 cents, intended for constructing their residences. Over four decades, these families have resided on this land, successfully establishing a vibrant community referred to as Periyar Nagar.
A villager of the said village, Pandian, said “We were given this land by the Adi Dravidar Welfare Department after we were displaced by floods. We have lived here for 40 years, built our homes, and even named our settlement.” explaining the community members’ plight.
He also added, “With this, we took a loan of Rs.2,500 each from the Gobi Cooperative Society and with the cooperation of the Panchayat administration we built houses and named them Periyar Nagar and have been living there for 40 years. Our houses have water connection and electricity connection. We are also paying house tax in our name. In this case, when a resident died when his son went to transfer the title of the land to his name, he was asked to get the deed from the deed department.”
When we submitted an application to the Sathyamangalam deed registry office, we were told, ‘The land on which your house is situated belongs to the Waqf Board. Therefore, they said, only if they get a clearance certificate from them, the Patta (Land Revenue Record/Land Patta which certifies a person’s ownership of a piece of land) can be changed.
Over the past 40 years, we have been living in this place and all of a sudden, they claim that the land where the house is belongs to the Waqf Board. We are shocked by this announcement from the Deeds Registry, he said.
The affected people, who live in Anganakoundanputhur village, belong to the Arunthathiyar community. These are those people who earn their livelihood through the Central government’s MGNREGA scheme and as daily wage labourers. The news that they do not own their own homes has left them in agony.
In connection to this matter, the residents have lodged petitions at different levels, commencing from the Revenue Department authorities and escalating to the Gobichettypalayam RTO. However, despite persistent endeavors spanning over half a year, no measures have been implemented to address the problem. The officials find themselves in a state of uncertainty regarding the subsequent course of action, as each step they take encounters distinct justifications leading to dead ends.
The villagers say that because of this action of the Deed Registration Department, they are not able to sell their home or change the deed or get a loan from the bank. Since they are not able to get a loan for the construction of houses under the PMAY scheme, construction work has been halted for many of them.
“We don’t know where the Waqf Board that is claiming ownership of our land is. We don’t know whom to ask for an encroachment certificate. We have submitted several petitions to the revenue officials we know with all the documents including government-issued certificates. There is a suspicion that the free Patta (Land deed) issued by the government is fake. Therefore, the land given to us should be recovered and the government should be handed over to us,” he said.
In the report by The Hindu Tamil, a revenue official is quoted as “The problem with the Waqf Board’s claim of ownership is widespread in the district. The Registration Department is working in accordance with the directives of the Waqf Board. Efforts are being made to compile accurate information about Waqf Board-owned lands in Erode District to resolve this issue in stages.”
The Hindu Munnani in Tamil Nadu has condemned the role played by the DMK government in enabling the Waqf Board to assert control over land that belongs to the Arunthathiyar community.
In a tweet, the Hindu Munnani wrote, “It seems that the Waqf Board is thinking of seizing the land given by the government to the people near Sathyamangalam and settling Muslims there. Is the Dravidian model of government just to support the land grabs done by the octopus arms of the Waqfu Board? We will not remain, passive observers, if the Waqf Board, enjoying the backing of the DMK government, endeavors to encroach upon Hindu lands, temples, and state-owned properties. The government should take measures to restore the land confiscated by the Waqf Board”
This is not the first time the Waqf Board is in the news for allegedly claiming ownership of land owned by others. In September 2022, Thiruchenthurai, a village in Tamil Nadu, was declared the property of the state Waqf board, causing shock among the locals. The village, which has a 1,500-year-old Sundareswarar Temple, was declared the property of the Waqf board. Locals said that their property belonged to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board and in order to sell the property they needed to obtain a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board.
Despite the lack of evidence of Muslims residing in the area and the resettlement taking place in 1927-1928, the Waqf Board had written a 20-page letter to 12 registration offices in Trichy, claiming property in numerous districts. An official informed that all properties within Thiruchendurai village were under the ownership of the Waqf Board, and anyone seeking to sell such land had to secure a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the board situated in Chennai.
