Massive protests have erupted in Ernakulam’s Munambam, where the Waqf Board has claimed 404 acres of land belonging to over 600 families, most of whom are Christian. On Sunday, the protests escalated as the influential Syro-Malabar Church organised solidarity events across 1,000 churches in Kerala. The All Kerala Catholic Congress, the official community organisation of the Church, reportedly led these protests.
Villagers from Cherai and Munambam have accused the Waqf Board of unlawfully claiming their land and properties, despite possessing registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.
Major Archbishop Raphael Thattil, head of the Syro-Malabar Church, called on both the Union and State governments to step in and resolve the issue. “This is a humanitarian issue and must be addressed in a humane, democratic way, in accordance with the Constitution,” he said after visiting those participating in a hunger strike in Munambam on Saturday.
Recently, the Congress-led UDF and the CPI(M)-led LDF passed a unanimous resolution in the state assembly opposing the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, which seeks to curtail some drastic powers given to Waqf.
The Church has claimed that some provisions have allowed the Waqf Board to unlawfully claim properties owned by Christian families for generations in Cherai and Munambam.
In September, the Syro-Malabar Church and the Kerala Catholic Bishop Council wrote to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), highlighting that the Waqf Board had unlawfully claimed properties belonging to Christian families.
Archbishop Andrews Thazath, chairman of the Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission, noted in the letter that such claims had led to the displacement of rightful owners. “Around 600 families are under threat. These people belong to the impoverished fishermen community,” Thazath stated, adding that a Catholic Parish Church, a convent, and a dispensary were also at risk of eviction by the Waqf Board.
Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council, echoed these concerns in a letter to the JPC. He warned of ongoing hardships faced by over 600 families in Munambam Beach, Ernakulam, due to the enforcement of the Waqf Law since 2002.
Source : Business Today
