Kochi, Sep 15 (PTI) The Munambam Land Protection Council on Monday expressed relief that the Supreme Court’s order putting on hold several provisions of the Waqf Amendment Act will not affect their case.
Reacting to the SC order putting on hold several key provisions of the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025 — including the clause that only those practising Islam for the last five years can dedicate a property as Waqf — Council members told reporters here that since the apex court has not put Section 2(a) of the Act on hold, their land dispute remains outside the purview of Waqf provisions.
Section 2(a) clarifies that the Waqf amended Act does not apply to trusts established by a Muslim for purposes similar to a Waqf.
The protesters maintain that their land, purchased from Farook College, which is a trust/society, is hence exempt from the Waqf Act.
“We are relieved that Section 2(a) has not been stayed. Now the government can proceed further to resolve our issues,” Joseph Benny, a member of the council, said.
The council decided to strengthen the protest so that the government would resolve the matter in a speedy manner.
“Now that the legal uncertainty has been resolved, the state government should speed up its procedures. Additionally, the commission appointed by the government, under the leadership of Justice CN Ramchandran Nair, has also submitted its report,” the council members said.
The council convened a meeting on Monday to assess the implications of the Supreme Court order and plan the future course of action.
Over 600 families in the coastal village of Ernakulam district have been affected by the Waqf Act. Around 404 acres of land in the area is being disputed as Waqf land.
The residents have been conducting a relay protest in Munambam since last year, which has crossed 300 days by now.
While political parties and the state government have extended their support to protestors, the issue remains unresolved and is currently under consideration by the Waqf Tribunal.
Meanwhile, the Indian Union Muslim League (IUML) in Kerala on Monday welcomed the Supreme Court’s decision on the Waqf Act, calling it a “setback” for the central government.
In an official Facebook post, the party said that its national general secretary, P K Kunhalikutty, was one of the petitioners in the case.
“The Supreme Court has dealt a blow to the central government regarding the Waqf Amendment Act,” the post read.
IUML leader and Ponnani MP, E T Mohammed Basheer, said that although the entire issue had not been addressed, the order was a welcome step.
“With the amendment, the central government’s intention was to grab properties worth several crores of rupees. The community concerned is the custodian of Waqf property,” he said.
He also pointed out that this was the first time the apex court, in an interim order, had put so many provisions of a law passed by Parliament on hold.
IUML state president Sayyid Sadiq Ali Shihab Thangal also welcomed the decision, saying that the Supreme Court had recognised the concerns raised by the Muslim League and other parties over the Waqf Amendment Act. PTI TBA TBA ROH
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