50 Christians join BJP in Kerala after passage of Waqf bill, their land was being claimed by Waqf
On 4th April, just after the Waqf (Amendment) Bill was passed in Parliament, fifty residents of Munambam, a coastal village in Kerala, formally joined the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP). Munambam is at the heart of the Waqf land row in the state. Most of the villagers belong to the Christian community. They have been fighting against the Kerala Waqf Board for the past 175 days over the claim laid down by the board on 400 acres of land that the villagers have owned for generations.
BJP sees the moment as a political shift
BJP state president Rajeev Chandrasekhar visited Munambam shortly after the Bill was passed and met the families protesting against the Waqf Board. He hailed the day as a turning point in the political history of the state. Chandrasekhar said, “This is an important day in the state’s political history.”
He added, “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. 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.”
Joseph Benny, who is the convener of the Munambam protest action committee, said in a statement that all fifty new BJP members were earlier supporters of the Congress or the CPI(M).
In a post on 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.”
Slamming UDF and LDF, Chandrasekhar wrote, “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! 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.”
Church-backed media slams Congress and Left
Interestingly, the Church and its associated media in the state have criticised the Congress and the Left. Deepika, a prominent Catholic Church-backed Malayalam daily, criticised the CPI(M) and Congress for ignoring the Church’s call to support the amendment. Notably, the Church has termed the sections that allowed the Waqf to claim land out of thin air as “anti-people sections” of the Waqf Act. The daily accused both parties of trying to instil fear among minorities by claiming Christians face persecution by Sangh-affiliated groups in North Indian states and Manipur.
Kerala has always been a difficult state for the BJP. However, the fallout between the Church and the Congress and Left is an indication that a chance might arise in the future to disrupt traditional political formations. The BJP is aiming to make inroads by aligning with the grievances of minority communities over land rights, something that both the Congress and the Left have ignored owing to appeasement politics.
The Munambam Waqf land dispute
The Munambam Waqf land dispute in Kerala is rooted in historical ambiguity and community grievances. It has turned into a politically charged conflict in recent months. Around 600 Christian and Hindu families in the region are resisting the Kerala State Waqf Board’s claim over 404 acres that the Board claims were dedicated as Waqf property in 1950.
However, residents argue that they purchased the land legally from Farook College, which managed the land at that time. The families have been paying taxes on their land for decades. The origin of the controversy can be traced back to a 1902 lease by the Travancore royal family to a local trader and a 1950 deed by his son-in-law creating the Waqf. Over time, Farook College sold the land to occupants without disclosing its Waqf status, which laid the groundwork for future disputes.
The issue lay dormant until the Nissar Commission in 2009 declared the land as Waqf property. The Board acted on this in 2019, ceasing acceptance of land tax. Though the Kerala government overruled it in 2022, the decision was stayed by the Kerala High Court, which trapped the residents in legal uncertainty. The problem is worsened by severe coastal erosion, reducing the land to just 225 acres. OpIndia’s detailed report on the dispute can be checked here.
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