Farmers protest Waqf board land claim in Karnataka’s Vijayapura, seek government intervention
- In Reports
- 11:11 AM, Oct 26, 2024
- Myind Staff
Vijayapura, Karnataka: Farmers from Honwada village in Karnataka’s Vijayapura district have approached the district in-charge minister, MB Patil, after receiving notices indicating that their lands are now claimed as Waqf property. The land dispute involves around 1,200 acres in Honwada village, Tikota taluk, which officials reportedly intend to designate under the ownership of the Shah Aminuddin Dargah, a historical religious site. Farmers say they’ve held ownership of the land for generations, but recent notices allege it falls under the jurisdiction of the Waqf board.
“The notice claimed that the land belonged to Shah Aminuddin Dargah, but this dargah hasn’t existed for centuries, and our families have owned this land for generations,” said Suneel Shankarappa Tudigal, vice president of Honwada gram panchayat. “Around 41 farmers have received notices, asking them to provide ownership records, but we are the rightful owners. If the government doesn’t withdraw these notices, we will launch a massive protest.”
The dispute has sparked significant unrest among the farmers, many of whom have called the notices baseless. Tudigal and other local leaders argue that these claims contradict their families’ longstanding ownership of the land. This has led them to submit a formal memorandum to Minister MB Patil, demanding an immediate withdrawal of the notices.
Waqf Board officials argue that their claim is legally valid, citing a 1974 government gazette notification that allegedly designates the contested lands as Waqf property. “The land was marked as Waqf property by the state government, and this was documented in the gazette,” said Tabassum, an official from the Vijayapura Waqf board. “However, a few notices were mistakenly sent to farmers. If they have valid land records, the Waqf board will not take any action against them.”
The notices issued have asked farmers to submit land ownership records for verification, adding to the tensions. In response, Patil assured farmers that no action would be taken if they could produce ownership documents predating the Waqf board’s claims. “If the farmers have valid ownership records predating this, their lands will not be affected,” Patil said, adding that a meeting with the district’s deputy commissioner would be convened next week to address the matter.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) has strongly criticised the Congress-led state government for allegedly supporting the Waqf board’s land claims. State BJP leaders have accused the Congress of allowing the Waqf board to pursue encroachments on agricultural land, framing it as a move to placate minority groups at the expense of farmers’ rights. “The Waqf board, under the Congress government’s encouragement, is now attempting to seize farmers’ land. This is nothing but appeasement politics,” the BJP said in a tweet.
Tejasvi Surya, BJP MP for Bengaluru South, has also voiced his support for the farmers in Honwada, condemning the Waqf board’s actions as unjust. “Farmers from the Vijayapura district have been served notices declaring their lands as Waqf property, with no evidence or explanation provided,” Surya said, highlighting the lack of transparency in the notices.
He further alleged that Karnataka’s Waqf Minister BZ Zameer Ahmed Khan had directed local officials to expedite the registration of the lands under the Waqf board within 15 days. “Khan recently visited and directed the deputy commissioner and revenue officials to register lands in favour of the Waqf Board within 15 days, with the aim of circumventing the reforms being brought in by PM Narendra Modi-led government through the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024,” Surya stated.
Surya’s remarks also spotlighted proposed amendments to the Waqf Act by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government, which he claims are being resisted by the Congress administration. BJP leaders allege that the amended act would prevent such large-scale claims by setting stricter definitions for Waqf properties and safeguarding the land rights of private citizens.
“The law further takes away the right of appeal of a citizen over his property by making the decision of the tribunal final. By enacting such laws the Congress has committed a betrayal to citizens across the country,” Surya said. His statement reflects the BJP’s wider stance that existing Waqf property laws unfairly favour religious boards and often bypass due process, depriving citizens of legal recourse.
In response to the mounting criticism, Housing, Waqf, and Minority Welfare Minister Jameer Ahmed Khan clarified that the Waqf board’s actions aim to address illegal encroachments, not unjustly claim private land. Earlier this month, Khan had met with Waqf board officers to discuss encroachment issues on Waqf properties, reportedly leading to the issuance of the recent notices. “This action is based on documented records and legal precedents,” a Waqf official noted, emphasising that if any farmers can prove ownership with valid records, they will be exempted from further action".
Amid the ongoing tensions, Khan also noted that while the gazette notification established the Waqf board’s claim on certain lands, farmers’ records would be carefully reviewed to avoid any wrongful seizure. “We are only acting upon existing government records,” he said, though his reassurances have done little to placate the affected farmers.
Farmers in Honwada remain determined to resist the Waqf board’s claims, with local leaders preparing for a large-scale protest should the government fail to withdraw the notices. They argue that the claim lacks historical basis, pointing out that the Shah Aminuddin Dargah has not existed for centuries and should not impact their ancestral lands.
“The government needs to recognise that these lands have been in our families for generations,” Tudigal said. “This isn’t just a question of records; it’s about our livelihoods and the heritage of this community.”
As the dispute escalates, the government faces increasing pressure to mediate a resolution that respects both the legal rights of the Waqf board and the longstanding claims of the farmers.
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