Can’t allow people from other faiths on Waqf board: Muslims

The Waqf Amendment Bill has raised fears among members of the Muslim community that ownership rights of Waqf properties like graveyards on land owned by local bodies will now be rested with the government. They have also objected to inclusion of non-Muslims in the Waqf boards, even if it was for administrative purposes.

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Members of the Muslim community said that their main objection was the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf boards. Some prominent members of the community, requesting anonymity, asked, “If there cannot be representatives of other faiths in the SGPC or Hindu temple shrine boards, why does the government want to bring non-Muslims in Waqf boards?”

The Shahi Imam of Punjab, Maulana Mohammad Usman Ludhianvi, told The Tribune that it would have been better if the government tried to amend the Waqf Board Act by making it mandatory for the boards to make new schools, colleges and healthcare facilities for the Muslims, or to stop corrupt practices in the board.

The Bill has also brought into focus the issue of encroachment of Waqf properties in the state. The Punjab Waqf Board, established in 2003, manages 25,403 estates, having a total of 75,965 units and generating an annual income of Rs 50-60 crore. For years, many of these properties have been under illegal occupation. Among the encroachers are powerful politicians and some police officers. The maximum encroachments are on Waqf properties in Bathinda.

Latif Ahmed, CEO, Punjab Waqf Board, told The Tribune that as of now, 1,637 cases were under litigation. These included 1,157 in lower courts, 462 in the Punjab and Haryana High Court and 18 in the Supreme Court. According to information available with The Tribune, 42,684 of the 75,965 units have been encroached upon. The web portal of Waqf Assets Management System of India mentions that at 56%, encroachment on Waqf properties in North India is highest in Punjab. In Haryana, only 0.78% of units under Waqf properties were encroached upon, while the figure is 23.75% in Himachal Pradesh. Even in Uttar Pradesh, which has the maximum number of Waqf properties, the encroachment is only on 0.97% properties.

The new amendments, said leaders of the Punjabi Muslim community, are like old wine in a new bottle. They pointed out that in Punjab, two women are already included as members in the 10-member Waqf Board since 2013. Even in the board constituted on March 13, two women — Sobia Iqbal and Yasmeen Parveen — have been included as members. Punjab also had three women as chairpersons of the Waqf Board — Nisara Khatoon, Zainat Akhtar and Razia Sultana. Even setting up of a portal of Waqf property, as proposed, already exists.

While members of the Muslim community in the state, which is 1.93% of the population, have expressed their reservations on some amendments, AAP, Congress and the SAD are also against the Bill. Earlier this week, CM Bhagwant Mann had said AAP would oppose the Bill tooth and nail in Parliament as well as in the Punjab Vidhan Sabha.