2 days ago
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Barely days aft the UDF authorities assumed bureau successful Kerala, the simmering onshore quality involving the residents of Munambam colony successful Ernakulam has flared up erstwhile again, with the Kerala State Waqf Board completing the registration of the arguable onshore connected the UMEED portal.
The Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) portal is simply a centralised integer level launched by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs for the registration, real-time verification, and monitoring of Waqf properties crossed India.
The determination has sparked outrage wrong the Catholic Church, which has launched a scathing onslaught against recently sworn-in Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan. In a powerfully worded editorial published successful the Church-backed mouthpiece, Deepika, the Church warned that the registration of the disputed onshore was not simply a situation faced by the 610 affected families successful Munambam, but “a menace confronting secular Kerala itself.”
The editorial besides stated that past would “record the relation played by the Waqf Board successful strengthening utmost Hindutva forces successful the country.” Although the Central authorities amended the law, the changes offered nary extortion to the residents of Munambam, who had already go trapped successful spiritual legislation. Instead, it alleged, the amendment efficaciously enabled the Board to proceed its actions successful Munambam.
The nonfiction further recalled that Chief Minister V.D. Satheesan, portion serving arsenic Leader of the Opposition, had declared that the contented could beryllium “resolved wrong 10 minutes” if his beforehand came to power.
“When the caller authorities precocious cancelled the K-Rail notification and the related onshore acquisition proceedings, the Chief Minister himself stated: ‘The yellowish bound markers erected for onshore acquisition volition beryllium removed. People person been near successful a concern wherever they cannot merchantability their ain land, let anyone other to acquisition it, oregon adjacent pledge it for their children’s needs.’ The radical of Munambam are facing a akin situation. The Chief Minister had earlier stated that the Munambam onshore was not Waqf spot and that, if his broadside came to power, the contented could beryllium resolved wrong 10 minutes. Is adjacent justness being hindered by religion? Is cancelling a Waqf Board notification not arsenic straightforward arsenic revoking a authorities notification?” the nonfiction asked.
Satheesan accuses Waqf Board of obstruction
Responding to the issue, Mr. Satheesan connected Monday accused the Waqf Board, constituted during the erstwhile government’s tenure, of “deliberately trying to complicate and derail attempts” by the UDF medication to resoluteness the substance swiftly.
“Ordinarily, it is the Muthavalli who is required to registry the acrophobic Waqf spot connected the UMEED portal. But successful this case, the Waqf Board itself has taken the initiative. What we recognize from this is simply a deliberate effort to pit 2 communities against each other,” the Chief Minister said.
At the aforesaid time, helium assured that “not a azygous resident” would beryllium evicted from Munambam and promised implicit extortion for the affected families, portion besides facilitating the outgo of onshore taxation by them.
Merely followed Centre’s direction: chairman
However, Kerala State Waqf Board president K.S. Hamsa deed backmost sharply, insisting that the Board had simply complied with directions issued by the Union government. He pointed retired that the latest bid successful the Munambam quality was that of the Supreme Court, which had validated the arguments raised by the Board regarding the land.
“There was a absorption from the Union authorities to registry each properties nether the Waqf Board connected the UMEED portal by May 17. We person simply followed the procedure,” helium said. According to Mr. Hamsa, each proceedings concerning the Munambam onshore stay taxable to authorities and judicial intervention.
“The Board considers the radical of Munambam guiltless and holds the authorities of Farook College liable for misleading them and illegally selling the property. It is the work of the Waqf Board to guarantee that each spot is registered. Since the Muthavalli of Farook College was not expected to registry the land, we took the inaugural ourselves,” helium explained.
Meanwhile, protesters successful Munambam, nether the banner of the Munambam Land Protection Council, accused the Waqf Board of deepening the injustice faced by section residents and resolved to taxable a memorandum to the Chief Minister demanding the dissolution of the Kerala Waqf Board, alleging that it had taken incomplete and erroneous decisions.
According to the protesters, the archetypal deadline for uploading spot details to the UMEED portal had been fixed arsenic May 17, 2026, but has present been extended by different month. They alleged that specified actions were aimed astatine making the Munambam quality adjacent much complicated.
They besides pointed retired that, astatine the Waqf Board gathering held connected April 26, 2026, a determination had been taken to upload details of each properties included successful the Waqf registry to the UMEED portal, further intensifying fears among the affected families.
