In a significant political development, fifty residents of Munambam, a coastal village at the heart of a high-stakes land dispute with the Kerala State Waqf Board, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) on April 3, hours after the Parliament passed the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024. Most of the new BJP members belong to the Christian community, and their collective move is being seen as a potential political shift in a state historically hostile to the saffron party.
Located on the Arabian Sea coast, Munambam has been the epicenter of a long-standing agitation against the Kerala Waqf Board, which has claimed ownership of over 400 acres of land that the villagers say they have lived on and cultivated for generations. The residents, who have been protesting for 175 days, accuse the board of attempting to usurp their land under provisions of the Waqf Act. The controversy stems from a 1902 lease agreement and a 1950 deed, which the board cites as the legal basis for its claim.
On Thursday, BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited Munambam and met the protesting families to celebrate the passage of the bill with them. Addressing the villagers, he described the moment as a watershed in Kerala’s political landscape.
“This is an important day in the state’s political history,” Chandrasekhar declared. “This agitation gave strength to the Prime Minister and Parliament to pass the amendment. We will stand with you until you regain revenue rights over your land.”
He further added, “The people of Munambam have been betrayed by the very MPs and MLAs they voted for, but their voice reached Parliament. It’s a shining moment for Indian democracy.”
According to Joseph Benny, convener of the Munambam protest action committee, the fifty new BJP members were previously aligned with the Congress or the Communist Party of India (Marxist). Their defection underscores the growing disenchantment with Kerala’s traditional political powerhouses.
In a post on social media platform X, Chandrasekhar wrote: “With the people of Munambam today after the passing of the Waqf Amendment Bill. Joined them in their celebrations as they expressed their respect and gratitude to PM Narendra Modi ji for supporting them in their hour of need. I assured them that the BJP would stand firmly with the people of Munambam until their revenue rights are reestablished.”
He also slammed both the Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the CPI(M)-led Left Democratic Front (LDF), accusing them of engaging in “shameless politics of appeasement.”
“The UDF and LDF have once again exposed their shameless politics of appeasement by opposing the Waqf Amendment Bill. Nothing but a blatant betrayal of the people of Kerala, especially the residents of Munambam who were facing eviction from their own land,” Chandrasekhar wrote.
“Despite opposition, BJP pushed through the bill, proving that when it comes to protecting citizens, we stand on the side of justice, not vote bank politics.”
Interestingly, the Catholic Church and its affiliated media in Kerala have also criticised both the Congress and the Left for their opposition to the bill. Deepika, a leading Malayalam daily backed by the Church, published a sharp editorial denouncing both political alliances for ignoring the Church’s request to support the amendment.
The editorial described some provisions of the existing Waqf Act as “anti-people,” particularly those that, according to the Church, allowed the Board to claim land arbitrarily. It accused the Congress and CPI(M) of stoking fear among Kerala’s Christian population by invoking incidents of communal violence in North India and Manipur, instead of addressing the real issue of land ownership rights.
The Munambam land dispute traces its roots to a 1902 lease agreement by the erstwhile Travancore royal family to a local trader. In 1950, a deed was executed by the trader’s son-in-law to declare the land as Waqf property. Over the years, Farook College, which managed the land, sold plots to local residents without disclosing its Waqf status. As a result, hundreds of families, predominantly Christians and Hindus, purchased the land in good faith and paid taxes on it for decades.
The conflict remained dormant until the Nissar Commission in 2009 identified the land as Waqf property. Acting on the report in 2019, the Kerala Waqf Board stopped accepting land tax payments from residents. Though the state government attempted to intervene in 2022 and nullify the claim, the Kerala High Court stayed the government order, plunging the residents into legal limbo. Meanwhile, severe coastal erosion has reduced the total area from 404 acres to just 225 acres, intensifying the urgency of the matter.
The latest developments suggest that the BJP is actively seeking to expand its influence in Kerala by aligning itself with grievances rooted in community land rights. The defection of fifty residents to the BJP is being interpreted by party insiders as a breakthrough in a state where it has historically struggled to gain electoral ground.
By positioning itself as a defender of land rights and a counterweight to what it calls “vote bank politics,” the BJP hopes to reshape its image among minority communities in Kerala, especially those feeling alienated by traditional political narratives.
As the Waqf Amendment Bill heads for implementation and legal proceedings continue, Munambam’s fight is far from over. But for now, the coastal village stands as a new symbol of political realignment in Kerala—one that could have wider ramifications in the years to come.
