As Congress formed the government in Kerala, the state Waqf Board seems to be in a hyperactive mode. After reclaiming Munambam in Ernakulam district, it has now targeted 634 acres of land in Taliparamba, Kannur district.
Reportedly, the 634 acres in Taliparamba, cover prominent areas housing government institutions, including the municipal office and commercial buildings.
To begin with, the Waqf Board has begun gathering documents with respect to “Waqf properties” allegedly encroached upon or occupied by private individuals there.
Waqf Board Chairman K.S. Hamza told the media on June 4 that a delegation of the Board would soon visit Taliparamba to ascertain the land, measurements, and related details.
Out of the 634 acres of land, the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust Muttavalli has registered around 400 acres on the UMEED Portal. They are looking for documents concerning the remaining land.
The Board alleged that a significant portion of the land is still occupied by the relatives of the first Taliparamba Jamaat Trust.
The Waqf committee levelled further allegations in this regard. One of the officials reportedly stated that hundreds of acres of Waqf land in Manna were distributed among the relatives of the first Muttavalli of the Taliparamba Jamaat Trust.
Manna is a bustling locality in Taliparamba. Commercial constructions have come up on these lands. Some leased out the lands while concealing the fact that they were Waqf lands.
Reportedly, the officials added that the issue in Taliparamba is different from that of Munambam. He said that a large section of the land has been sold to non-Muslims. He alleged that the buyers were misguided.
However, in Taliparamba, those who reached the helm of the Jamaat distributed the lands among their own people. The motive, he claimed, was personal gain.
The committee claims that several prominent establishments, such as the Taliparamba Municipal Office, Taliparamba Cooperative Hospital, and large parts of Syed Nagar, Farooq Nagar and Manna, including areas such as Andakala in Karimbathu and Sadhu Mutti, are standing on Waqf land.
Another allegation concerns the occupation of several Waqf buildings and properties by private individuals for several decades while paying only nominal rent.
The Waqf Board knows the significance of the presence of government institutions and leased properties in Taliparamba; hence, it will adopt a different strategy.
Now, the Waqf Board is busy gathering documents related to the Taliparamba properties.
Critics argue that the Waqf Board members have full confidence that both the ruling Congress-led United Democratic Front (UDF) and the principal opposition CPM-led Left Democratic Front (LDF) will wholeheartedly support them because of their so-called ‘secular duty’ and because it is the best way to prove their ‘secular credentials’.
With these allegations by the Waqf Board, the political burden will fall on BJP MLAs to raise their voice for justice for the victims against what they describe as the illogical and communal agenda of vested interests within the LDF and UDF.
