Chennai (Tamil Nadu): Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju recently tabled the Waqf Board Amendment Bill in Parliament. As opposition parties including Congress and DMK strongly opposed this amendment, the Centre has recommended sending the bill to a 21-member joint parliamentary committee.
Waqf Board Act: The Waqf Act was enacted in 1954 to manage the Waqf Board properties. Later, in 1995, the Act was amended to give additional powers to the Waqf Boards. Subsequently, in 2013, the Congress-led United Progressive Alliance government also amended the law. The Centre has proposed 40 amendments to the Waqf Board Act, which has become a controversy.
If the amendments are passed, non-Muslims can also get seats in the Waqf Board. A provision has also been made for two women on each board.
Reacting to it, Tamil Nadu Waqf Board Chairman Abdul Rahman told ETV Bharat, "The forefathers of the Islamic society gave their properties for the use of the people. That is what the Waqf properties are now. To properly monitor them, the Waqf Board Act was passed in 1954. Later, the Waqf Boards of the state were formed under the supervision of the respective state governments and the Act was finalised in 1995.
"In order to implement it better, the law amendment was brought again in 2013 and it is functioning well. There is no need for further amendment in this Act which is fully operational. It has to be seen on the basis of which intention this amendment has been brought. It would be better if the amendment was brought only to recover and protect the property," added Rahman.
"The Waqf Board has also been empowered to recover property. However, if there is a problem with the recovery of assets, there is a tribunal for recovery of assets, and in case of appeal, there is the High Court and the Supreme Court. The sectarian laws are very clear. But now it is proposed to give full power to the district collector and this is not ideal. This is unconstitutional," said Rahman.
"The District Collector can provide information about Waqf Board properties based on the data available from the Revenue Department. But the District Collector has no authority to take any decision regarding the Waqf Board properties. Also, the new amendment states that non-Muslims can be appointed as members of the Waqf Board. The new amendment mandates that two of the 12 waqf board members should be non-Muslims. It cannot be accepted," he asserted.
"Non-Muslims are not required to become members. Because the rituals of the respective religions are known only by the respective religions. They cannot be properly acted upon by converts. So there is no need to allow people of other religions as members of the Waqf Board. If we are against this law, it is not that non-Muslims are against it," he maintained.
He further said, "The law is there to see how the waqf system works. If the Muslims do not perform well in the Waqf Boards, they are also to be punished. The rules and regulations for the administration of the respective places of worship are clear in the law. Whoever violates it will be punished. The most important reason for bringing this law amendment is that people who want to create problems and confusion and continue fighting between people are supporting it along with religious blasphemy."
"Fraternal-minded people will not like this law and non-Muslims are more vocal than Muslims in Parliament against this amendment. MPs like A Raja and (M M) Abdullah from Tamil Nadu have been included in the Parliamentary Joint Committee. As they are experienced, they can talk about this and bring the issues forward.
"Furthermore, while (Asaduddin) Owaisi, who has only one member, has been given a place in the Joint Parliamentary Committee, it is condemnable that the Muslim Union of India, which has five members, has not been given a place in the committee," he concluded.
