Srinagar: Kashmir's leading priest and chairman of Hurriyat Conference, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, was camping in New Delhi after concerns among Muslims over the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act.
Mirwaiz and other religious leaders of the Muttahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), an amalgam of 45 Muslim religious bodies, met the chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on January 24 and submitted a six-point memorandum which showed their concerns about the proposed amendments to Wakf Act.
The Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, was introduced in both houses of the Parliament in August 2024. As per the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government in the Centre, the aim of the bill is to amend the Waqf Act, 1995, to redress the issues and challenges in regulating and managing Waqf properties.
The Bill proposes to improve the administration and management of waqf properties in India. "It aims to overcome the shortcomings of the previous act and enhance the efficiency of Waqf boards by introducing changes such as renaming the Act, updating the definitions of waqf, improving the registration process, and increasing the role of technology in managing waqf records," a statement issued by Press Information Bureau said in August last year after the Bill was introduced in the Lok Sabha.
Muslims and their representative bodies across the country are opposing these proposed changes in the Act; so are Mirwaiz Umar Farooq, the chief priest of the Valley and other Muslim organisations.
The meeting with JPC, which is headed by Jagdambika Pal, BJP MP, and Mirwaiz-led delegation of MMU, took place in Parliament in New Delhi on January 24.
Mirwaiz told ETV Bharat that Muttahida Majlis Ulema had written a letter to the JPC to seek an appointment to express their concerns about the Bill. “We had requested a meeting; we got an invitation from JPC,” he said.
On 26 January, when India was celebrating its Republic Day, Mirwaiz met with Maulana Mehmood Madni, the President of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind. He was accompanied by Maulana Rehmatullah Qasimi of Darul Uloom Raheemiya.
During the meeting, the leaders discussed apprehensions regarding the implications of the proposed Waqf Amendment Bill and its potential impact on the autonomy and management of Waqf properties.
"They emphasised the need to safeguard the rights and interests of Waqf institutions and the Muslim community. Mirwaiz also apprised Madani about the situation in Jammu & Kashmir," a statement from Mirwaiz said.
Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will be meeting with other prominent religious and political leaders to apprise them of the concerns of the Muslim community related to the proposed bill and about the situation in Jammu & Kashmir.
"I have a few more appointments related to Waqf Bill. The Waqf issue is important this time so I have donned the religious role. We have no political appointments; our political stand is known to all," Mirwaiz told ETV Bharat.
Many believe the meeting in New Delhi with the JPC about the Waqf Bill suggest that Mirwaiz's flexibility and readiness to engage with the Modi-led government; although the latter has not shown a single inclination of dialogue, but has dealt with the separatist leaders and separatism with "iron fist".
But political analyst and former Professor of Politician Science in the University of Kashmir Noor Ahmad Baba said that Mirwaiz’s flight to Delhi should not be read beyond his concerns over Waqf Bill amendments.
"Mirwaiz Umar Farooq is a religious leader and realising the gravity of the Waqf Amendment Bill which will impact Muslims in Jammu and Kashmir, he has led the meeting," Baba said.
All 32 amendments proposed by BJP MPs and their allies from the TDP and the JD(U) were accepted, on Monday by the JPC. This will effectively amend 14 clauses. The committee rejected over 500 amendments pushed by Opposition MPs who want amendments in all 44 clauses of the Waqf (Amendment) Bill. The committee will now meet for one last time and is expected to adopt the amendments.
