‘It's not a Muslim-Christian issue’: Tharoor urges Kerala govt to swiftly resolve Waqf land dispute

Kochi: As the controversy surrounding the Munambam continues to escalate, Congress MP Shashi Tharoor has called on the Kerala government to promptly address the ongoing Waqf land dispute in Munambam, Ernakulam, emphasizing the need to resolve it as a legal matter rather than allowing it to escalate into a communal issue.

Residents of Cherai and Munambam villages have accused the Waqf Board of "unlawfully claiming" their land and property, even though they possess registered deeds and land tax receipts. The dispute has triggered widespread protests, with locals appealing to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan for a permanent solution.

Tharoor, after visiting the residents who have been on a hunger strike for 96 days, reiterated the need for an administrative resolution. "It's not a Muslim-Christian issue, it's a technical-legal issue and should be resolved in that way," the Thiruvananthapuram MP said, urging the government to act immediately to clarify the matter.

He added, "My appeal is no one should wait much more, and the state government should not delay in establishing the facts on file what is happened. Whatever judicial process has already begun should be expeditiously concluded so that these people should get their lands."

Earlier, the Farook College had asserted that the Munambam land is not Waqf property and has demanded an official declaration to that effect. The college has contested the ownership claims of the descendants of Sattar Seth and Siddique Seth, who allege the land is Waqf property. Farook College, in its submission to the Waqf Tribunal, argued that the land was leased by the erstwhile Travancore King and not granted as Waqf property.

The Kerala High Court had announced that it would issue an interim order halting the dispossession notices issued to landowners.

A division bench consisting of Justices Amit Rawal and KV Jayakumar observed that since the case primarily involves a land dispute, the landowners should pursue a civil suit. The court made these remarks while considering a petition filed by the landowners challenging various provisions of the Waqf Act, 1995.

In the villages of Cherai and Munambam, in Ernakulam district, residents have alleged the Waqf Board was unlawfully claiming their land and properties, despite the people holding registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.

The dispute involves 404 acres of land donated by Siddique Seth to Farooq College. In 2019, the Waqf Board registered the land as Waqf property. However, protesters argue that the land, originally donated for educational purposes, was not utilised for that purpose and therefore cannot be classified as Waqf property. They also claim that they purchased the land by paying for it and have been paying taxes on it.

(With inputs from PTI)