Two leading church organisations have approached the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill 2024, requesting significant amendments to the Waqf Act of 1995. They have expressed concerns over the alleged unlawful claims made by the Waqf Board on Christian properties in Kerala.
The Syro-Malabar Church and the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), in their submissions to the JPC, have raised alarms about properties belonging to Christian families in the Cherai and Munambam areas of Ernakulam being unlawfully claimed by the Waqf Board.
In his submission dated September 10 to the JPC, Archbishop Andrews Thazath, chairman of the Syro-Malabar Public Affairs Commission, stated that many properties in Ernakulum district, which have belonged to Christian families for generations in the villages of Cherai and Munambam, have been unlawfully claimed by the Waqf Board, leading to protracted legal battles and the displacement of rightful owners. Around 600 families are under threat. These people belong to the impoverished fishermen community. One Catholic Parish Church, Convent, and dispensary are under threat of evacuation by the Waqf Board, Archbishop Andrews Thazath said in his submission.
Archbishop Andrews Thazath has requested the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) to consider the tragic situation of the people in these villages and many other parts of India who are under the threat of losing their household by the totally unjust and inhuman claims made by the Waqf board. He requested the JPC to make suggestions to amend the Waqf Act 1995 on the basis of humanitarian and constitutional principles.
In his submission, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis, President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council (KCBC), also raised concerns about the Waqf board’s claims on properties owned by more than 600 families in Munambam Beach, Ernakulam. Since 2022, the enforcement of the Waqf Law has caused considerable hardships to these families, who are enduring immense distress and uncertainty due to unjust claims on their properties by the Waqf Board, the Cardinal said in his submission.
Stating that these claims by the Waqf board are unjust, unconstitutional, and a clear violation of the rights guaranteed by the Constitution, Cardinal Baselios Cleemis urged the JPC to take immediate and decisive action to resolve this issue and ensure that such claims on lawfully owned properties of Indian citizens are not repeated in the future.
Former Union Minister and BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar welcomed the submissions to the JPC on Waqf Board Bill by the two leading Christian organisations. In a post on X, Rajeev Chandrasekar said these submissions reveal how Waqf boards are unjust in claiming lands from large number of citizens who have legally purchased lands. He also took a dig at Rahul Gandhi and the Congress party for opposing the Waqf Board Amendment Act.