look news india
The villagers living in the village for years came to know in 2022 that the Waqf Board had claimed their land. The villagers were then deprived of their revenue rights and prevented from selling or mortgaging their property.
Away from the hustle and bustle of Kochi, the commercial capital of Kerala, lies a picturesque fishing village in Cherai – a Munambam suburb. Located near the sea coast, Cherai is today a major tourist attraction with its beach resorts. But the people of this village are living in fear of migration. About 610 families of the village allege that the Waqf Board has laid claim to their land and properties.
A village stuck in legal dispute
Villagers caught in legal disputes will neither be able to take loans nor sell their land from 2022. Prominent Christian organizations such as the Syro-Malabar Church and the Kerala Catholic Bishops Council have written to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) constituted on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, giving their suggestions for amendments to the Waqf Act, 1995.
Villagers demanded amendment in Waqf-Board Act
The victim's family said, everything was normal till 2022, suddenly we were told that the land on which we were living for years is no longer ours. But if this house is taken away from us then nothing will be left. The local people demand that the government should find a solution to our problems by amending the Waqf Board Act. The villagers also have documents related to their land and houses. These documents are enough to prove that the house and land belong to them. With the Modi government introducing a bill to amend the Waqf Act, the villagers are hopeful that their letter to the JPC will solve their problem.
Villagers narrated 100 years of history
Villagers say that they have been living in this village for more than 100 years. According to the villagers, this land was purchased by Siddiqui Sait in 1902 and later donated to Farooq College in 1950. The long-running dispute between the fishermen and the college came to an end in 1975. At that time the High Court had given its verdict in favor of the college. After that, since 1989, local people have been buying land from the college. However, in 2022, the village office suddenly claimed that the village was built on Waqf Board land. They are then barred from selling or mortgaging the property.