Kerala has started to feel the heat of bye-elections in the Palakkad and Chelakkara assembly constituencies and the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency, scheduled for 13 November. As usual, the difference between the ruling CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) and the opposition United Democratic Front (UDF) is minimal; it is largely confined to differences in candidate names and party flag colours, while their approaches to core issues like nationalism, Jihadi terrorism, anti-Hindutva policies, and the latest Waqf issue remain same.
Waqf is now the talk of the state. Organiser weekly has published several stories about the Waqf threat faced by approximately 620 families, most of them Christians, in Cherai, Ernakulam district. These residents are on the brink of losing their small plots and houses, acquired through their hard-earned money, due to the draconian Waqf Law. Consequently, the Waqf (Amendment) Bill has become a focal issue in the state’s by-election politics. Although both the LDF and UDF unanimously passed a resolution in the Kerala Legislative Assembly opposing the Union Government’s initiative to pass the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, the Catholic Church has stepped forward to support the Bill, which aims to amend the existing Waqf Act of 1995, introduced during Prime Minister Narasimha Rao’s tenure, as well as the amendments made in 2013.
The significant influence of the Catholic Church’s followers in the Wayanad Lok Sabha constituency is noteworthy, especially as Priyanka Gandhi is the UDF candidate contesting the by-election there.
The Church alleges that numerous properties belonging to Christian families in Cherai and Munambam, in Ernakulam district, are unlawfully claimed by the Waqf Board. These families have possessed and occupied the lands for several generations. The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church-controlled Deepika daily published an editorial on 28 October, blaming both the UDF and LDF for passing a unanimous resolution in the state Assembly ‘to protect the Waqf law without seeing the tears of the affected people.’ The editorial alleged that this is happening while both fronts accuse each other of secretly aiding the BJP.
The editorial accused both Fronts of betraying the victims of the Waqf Law in Cherai, suggesting that such a stance indirectly pushes people towards supporting the BJP. The editorial further criticises both Fronts, stating that ‘when you pass a resolution to protect the Waqf Law, ignoring the tears of the affected, victims and their supporters will have to reconsider their political stance’. It added that the ‘tears of Munambam’ are not of a few families alone, but rather ‘a lesson in Malayalam tragedy’ that has occurred in many parts of the country.
“According to the editorial, ‘The people of Munambam are not isolated. The Waqf Act of 1995 is a curse thrust upon the country by the Narasimha Rao government’. It cited that under Section 40 of the Act, if the Waqf Board believes that a property belongs to it, it is authorised to claim ownership, even bypassing the existing Registration Act. The editorial states that the High Court has limited authority to intervene under the current law; if anyone has complaints against the Waqf Board, they must approach the Waqf Tribunals. The editorial remarks: ‘This is a backdoor law created by the government against democracy and secularism! Congress sowed it, and Waqf reaped it.’
The editorial heavily criticised both the LDF and UDF, stating that the same people who promised justice to Munambam residents have now passed a pro-Waqf Act resolution in the Assembly. The editorial attacks the Waqf Board ‘lock, stock, and barrel’, arguing that the State Waqf Board believes it need not concern itself with public protests, as properties will be seized regardless. It concludes that victims must respond politically. The seizure of legitimate properties of over 600 families in Cherai-Munambam, using outdated laws and ‘kangaroo courts’, is described as political ingratitude.
The latest stance of the Church is significant, as tight triangular contests are expected in Palakkad, Chelakkara, and Wayanad. V. Abdurahman, the state minister for Minority Welfare, Waqf, and Haj, piloted the anti-Waqf Amendment Bill in the Assembly. Speaking on the occasion, the minister said that the amendments proposed by the Union government are ‘against the values and rights enshrined in the country’s Constitution and a gross violation of federal principles’. The resolution argued that the Amendment Bill, currently under consideration by the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC), violates ‘fundamental rights, freedom of belief, federalism, secularism, and democracy’.
The Syro-Malabar Catholic Church in Kerala and the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council have submitted letters to the JPC requesting amendments to the Waqf Act of 1995. The Church has appealed to the JPC to consider the ‘tragic situation’ faced by people in Cherai, Munambam, and other parts of the country, as they risk losing their homes due to the ‘entirely unjust and inhuman claims’ from the Waqf Board.
Only the BJP, NDA, and other Sangh-inspired organisations are supporting the Cherai-Munambam victims. Several leaders from these groups have visited the victims, who have been observing a relay hunger strike for over ten days. The BJP has raised this issue in by-election campaigns to expose the pseudo-secularism practised by both the LDF and UDF.
