Residents of Munambam in Ernakulam face a major crisis as the Waqf Board has issued fresh claims over 114 acres of land, affecting 614 families who have been living there for decades. The Syro Malabar Church has sought intervention from the Joint Parliamentary Committee to resolve the issue.
Ernakulam: Residents of Munambam in Ernakulam have demanded immediate intervention from both the central and state governments over the Waqf land issue. The Waqf Board's claim on the land has left 614 families in a crisis. With banks now refusing to grant loans to these families, the residents have decided to resort to protest as their next step.
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An unusual legal predicament has arisen in two wards of Pallipuram Panchayat, Ernakulam, where the Waqf Board has laid claim to 104 acres near Munambam Beach. This has left 614 families in a state of uncertainty, wondering what their future holds.
Antony, who had worked abroad for many years, expressed his frustration: "It’s like being dead—just dig a grave and bury me now. The paper for the land I bought with my hard-earned money is now worthless." Two years ago, he repaid an Rs 8 lakh loan and retrieved his property deed from the bank. However, when he recently submitted the same document for his daughter’s wedding loan, the bank declared it invalid.
The lives of the people in the area have come to a standstill following the Waqf land dispute. The hard-earned land is now of no use for essential needs like weddings, education, or medical treatment. A student pursuing medical coding had to discontinue her studies due to financial difficulties caused by this issue.
Seventy-four years ago, a man named Siddique Seth donated 404 acres of land in Munambam to Farook College, Kozhikode, as Waqf property. However, Farook College never used the land for Waqf purposes. Instead, starting in 1989, the land was sold to local residents, contrary to Waqf regulations. Unaware of this, the fishermen and local people from the Munambam and Cherai areas purchased the land with hard-earned money. Now, they are facing the claim that they no longer own the land they toiled to acquire. The sea has reduced the original 404 acres to just 114 acres, but the pain and uncertainty these families endure seem immeasurable.
Two years ago, the Waqf Board issued notices to the residents of Munambam, reclaiming ownership of the land and raising fresh claims over it. In response to this issue, the Syro Malabar Church has sent a letter to the Joint Parliamentary Committee, seeking intervention and resolution for the affected residents.