Mohamed Talha Siddi Bapa | Clarion India
THE recently enacted Waqf Amendment Act has triggered a wave of concern among Muslims and secular forces across the country. Under the aegis of the All India Muslim Personal Law Board, peaceful nationwide protests are being held. However, what is unfortunate is that, at such a critical juncture, certain individuals and media outlets are spreading a misleading narrative claiming that waqf properties are benefiting illegal occupants, that commercial buildings have been erected on them, and that they have become mere sources of rental income.
These claims are frivolous and damaging to the sanctity of this national trust and undermine the concept of public welfare on which the great institution of waqf was founded.
Yes, it is true that in some places there have been irregularities in the use of waqf assets, and at times personal interests have led to their misuse. But this is not the whole truth. Judging the entire waqf system on this basis and questioning its overall benefit and charitable role is sheer injustice.
Sinister Conspiracy
Today, Muslims are being made to question: “What does the Waqf Board do for us? Why should we even care about it?”
This is the very narrative deliberately propounded by the Sangh Parivar and the RSS to alienate Muslims from the movement to protect the waqf. Their goal is to weaken the religious, social, and educational significance of waqf in the eyes of the community, portraying it as a useless and controversial institution, thus paving the way for complete government control or takeover.
Through this legislation, the BJP government is not only trying to usurp the constitutional rights of Muslims but also using imaginary questions and baseless allegations to bring the waqf to a point where illegal occupation of endowed lands could be legitimised.
The truth is that waqf properties are those voluntarily donated by Muslims over centuries for noble purposes like worship, education, healthcare, and public welfare. Protecting them is not just a religious obligation but also a social, constitutional, and humanitarian duty of all.
Fact or Falsehood?
It is correct that some waqf properties are under illegal occupation, and such elements are indeed a blot on the community. But can any institution or department claim to be completely free of corruption?
Then why is only the waqf being targeted?
The real issue is to reclaim these properties from encroachers, not to defame the entire waqf system.
Sachar Committee Recommendations and Waqf
The Sachar Committee Report (2006) presented an in-depth analysis of the educational, economic, and social status of Muslims. The report identified waqf properties as an effective tool for the community’s economic upliftment and recommended transparent management and development of these assets.
This report was a milestone in initiating serious discussions and reforms around waqf.
Successful Waqf Reforms in Karnataka
The Karnataka Waqf Board has taken a significant step by reforming the leasing system of waqf lands. Earlier, these lands were leased for 90 years on unfair terms, yielding negligible income.
Now, the lease duration is limited to 30 years, with periodic renewals at current market rates. The annual rent has been fixed at 2.5% for commercial use and 1% for educational use.
Out of nearly 17,000 waqf properties in the state, about 10,000 have been brought under this new system, resulting in substantial revenue increases.
Shaping the Nation’s Future
This is not just about Jamia Millia Islamia, Aligarh Muslim University, Darul Uloom Deoband, or Nadwatul Ulama — numerous smaller institutions established on waqf land are imparting education to thousands of poor and middle-class students.
The Muslim Orphanage in Bangalore is a historic and exemplary institution, providing accommodation, education, and training to hundreds of orphaned boys and girls every year.
Services of Anjuman-e-Islam
Anjuman-e-Islam runs dozens of educational institutions in Hubli, Dharwad, Belgaum, and Gadag — from primary schools to postgraduate colleges, including nursing, paramedical, polytechnic, and even IIT-level courses.
Thousands of students, regardless of religious affiliations, graduate from these institutions each year and go on to serve the nation.
Khwaja Banda Nawaz Trust and
Al-Ameen: Shining Examples
Khwaja Banda Nawaz Educational Trust (Gulbarga) and Al-Ameen Education Society (Bengaluru) are major institutions set up on waqf land and are known across the country for their exceptional educational services.
The Khwaja Banda Nawaz Trust operates medical, dental, and engineering colleges successfully. Al-Ameen Society runs schools, degree colleges, law colleges, engineering, and management institutes with modern facilities, experienced faculty, and affordable fees — a beacon of hope for students with limited means.
Hostels: A Lifeline for Rural Students
In cities like Bengaluru, Davangere, Mysore, and Gulbarga, Muslim hostels on waqf land accommodate students from rural areas, enabling them to pursue education without the burden of high rents.
These hostels are making academic journeys more accessible and affordable.
Healthcare Services: The Human Face of Waqf
Institutions like Al-Shifa Hospital and HBS Hospital in Bengaluru, built on waqf land, serve thousands of patients daily by offering dignified, low-cost medical care.
In regions like Raichur and Hospet, super-specialty hospitals on waqf land provide quality healthcare at the doorstep of the local population.
Small clinics attached to mosques across the state serve women, labourers, and elderly citizens effectively.
Orphanages: A Refuge for the Helpless
In cities such as Bengaluru, Gulbarga, Mysore, and Raichur, orphanages built on waqf land offer shelter, education, food, and training to children without families.
These institutions provide vital support to the most vulnerable.
Shops and Employment Opportunities:
A Lifeline for Low-Income Families
Most importantly, a common man — individuals with low income and those living on the poverty line — are directly benefiting from waqf-owned shops for their livelihood.
Across India — not only in big cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru, Kolkata, and Delhi but also in small towns and semi-urban areas — waqf-owned commercial properties are benefiting lakhs of poor and low-income families who run small businesses and earn their livelihoods from these premises. These affordable rental spaces support local traders, artisans, and self-employed youth, creating jobs and economic stability without relying on government schemes.
In Bengaluru, properties like Gulisthan Shaadi Mahal in Shivajinagar and land on Siddaiah Road in Shantinagar are being developed commercially to boost revenue for minority welfare programmes (Economic Times Realty). Around Khwaja Bande Nawaz Dargah in Kalaburagi, shops benefit local families and help sustain religious and educational institutions.
These ventures not only generate essential funds for waqf-backed services — like schools, hospitals, and orphanages — but also empower thousands to lift themselves out of poverty.
Waqf is deeply woven into grassroots economic life, and weakening this system would harm a time-tested model of inclusive, community-based development.
The Way Forward
Now is the time to utilise unused waqf lands for educational, medical, and residential projects — and to reclaim illegally occupied properties to ensure their rightful use.
Waqf is not just a Muslim issue; it is an institution tied to the country’s overall development, welfare, and human values.
Every Indian — regardless of religion — must understand the importance of waqf, protect it, and oppose laws designed to weaken it.
This is not the time for silence or neutrality. It is the moment to stand firmly for justice and truth. The waqf system is not a burden but a backbone of community welfare, silently supporting millions across the country. Let no law, no narrative, and no propaganda undo the centuries of public good it has enabled. Policymakers must uphold its sanctity, civil society must demand its protection, and the media must stop being a tool for vilification and start being a voice for the voiceless. Strengthening waqf means empowering India’s poorest and most underserved — this is a moral, constitutional, and national imperative.
It must be noted that this article only highlights a few notable institutions. A comprehensive assessment of all ongoing educational, charitable, and public welfare activities under waqf in Karnataka would require a detailed report.
This brief article serves merely as a rebuttal to the misconceptions and misleading narratives being deliberately spread against waqf.
___________________
The writer is based in Bhatkal, Karnataka. The views expressed here are the writer’s own, and Clarion India does not necessarily subscribe to them.
