All eyes are now set on the role of Telugu Desam Party leader Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal-United leader Nitish Kumar
Dr Syed Ali Mujtaba
THE Mussalman Wakf (Repeal) Bill 2024 is set to be introduced in the winter session of Parliament commencing on November 25 and likely to conclude on December 20. Union Home Minister Amit Shah has vowed to pass the bill in the upcoming session of parliament.
All eyes are now set on the role of Telugu Desam Party (TDP) leader Chandrababu Naidu and Janata Dal-United (JD-U) leader Nitish Kumar. These two leaders have the potential of putting pressure on the government either to dilute the bill’s provisions or shelve it for the time being.
The bill, which puts six lakh acres of Waqf land at stake, has sparked intense debate in the country with opposition parties and minority organisations alleging that it seeks to centralise the government’s control over Waqf properties, undermining state rights and the Muslim community’s autonomy.
The Bill, introduced during the monsoon session of Parliament on July 28, caused a ruckus in the house and was then sent to a Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) for wider scrutiny.
The JPC has been examining the proposed legislation since August this year and has held 27 meetings, the last one according to its Chairman and BJP member Jagdambika Pal, across the country. However, opposition members have demanded an extension of the JPC tenure beyond November 29, contending that they need more time to study the changes to the draft legislation.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill has met with stiff opposition from minority communities, civil society, and opposition leaders with some seeing it as an attempt to limit the rights of the Muslim community.
The bill seeks to centralise control of waqf properties under government officials rather than community representatives. It could have wide-ranging ramifications for the Muslim community and its rights. The bill, along with the proposed Uniform Civil Code (UCC), is part of a broader plan to reshape India’s sociopolitical landscape.
The bill would undermine the powers of the state government and state Waqf Boards; it would restrict the authority of Waqf Boards in matters of registration and survey of waqf properties. Additionally, it proposes to include non-Muslims and Muslim women in the Central Waqf Council and state Waqf Boards.
The bill aims to reduce the powers of Waqf Boards, which currently have the authority to designate any property as “waqf property.” The bill intends to rename the Waqf Act, of 1995, to the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development Act. The bill allows waqf to be formed by declaration, recognition based on long-term use, or endowment. According to the bill, only a person practicing Islam for at least five years may declare a waqf.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) President Maulana Khalid Saifullah Rehmani has declared that he would oppose the proposed Waqf bill “at all costs,” even stating that AIMPLB members are willing to risk their lives for this cause.
“It is a matter of life and death for us, and we should stop it (Waqf bill) at all costs. If needed, the Muslims of the country will fill the jails in such a way that the government will not have any place to house criminals,” Maulana Rehmani said.
The AIMPLB chief added, “If needed, we will not hesitate to give our lives”. Rehmani emphasised that the government’s main goal is to take Waqf land from Muslims.
“This action by the central government goes against the Constitution, democratic values, federalism, and the pluralistic structure of India,” he stated.
Jharkhand Chief Minister Hemant Soren recently met an AIMPLB delegation and assured it of his strong opposition to the bill.
In a related matter, on October 22, Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee had a heated argument with BJP’s Abhijit Gangopadhyay during a JPC meeting on the Waqf Bill. As tensions rose, Banerjee smashed a glass water bottle on the table in frustration, injuring his thumb and index finger. He was suspended for one day by the parliamentary committee for his disruptive behaviour during the meeting.
The JPC reportedly has received five crore emails from concerned Muslims opposing the Bill.
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Dr Syed Ali Mujtaba can be contacted at syedalimujtaba2007@gmail.com
