The All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat on 29 June wrote to Mr K Rahman Khan, Union Minister for Minority Affairs, to desist from allowing the sale of waqf properties in the proposed bill. AIMMM President Dr Zafarul-Islam Khan said in his letter that such a change will open the flood-gates for such transactions and whatever is left of the waqf properties will also be swallowed up by unscrupulous elements and government agencies which are ever-ready to acquire and usurp such properties which were endowed for pious deeds and to benefit the Muslim community forever.
Dr Khan also wrote to the minister that the move to abolish the provision of leasing waqf properties in areas with thin Muslim population like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh will only mean to let the current leasees take control of such properties as they will never vacate them.
AIMMM President has also written to Maulana Rabey Hasani Nadwi, President of the Muslim Personal Law Board, seeking his urgent intervention in this regard.
In his letter to the Union Minority Minister, the AIMMM President said:
“Reports in Urdu press say that the draft Waqf Bill slated to be passed by the Rajya Sabha allows Waqf properties to be sold and also disallows giving Waqf properties on lease. It is claimed that a “Note” written by the All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) favours such an amendment in the waqf law.
“We wish to say that, according to our knowledge, this is not the official and agreed position of the AIMPLB. Instead, it is the opinion of two persons in the board who are misusing their positions to press for this change which is dictated by their narrow vested interests.
“We wish to state that the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, the umbrella body of Indian Muslim organisations and eminent personalities, is opposed to this opinion. We believe that the provision to allow for the sale of waqf properties, whatever the claimed safeguards, will open the flood-gates for such transactions and whatever is left of the waqf properties will also be swallowed up by unscrupulous elements and government agencies which are ever-ready to acquire and usurp such properties which were endowed for pious deeds and to benefit the Muslim community forever.
Likewise, the move to abolish the provision of leasing waqf properties in areas with thin Muslim population like Punjab, Haryana and Himachal Pradesh will only mean to let the current leasees take control of such properties as they will never vacate them.
“We appeal to you to see that such provisions are not surreptitiously inserted into the proposed waqf bill so that whatever is left of our waqf properties may be safeguarded. Our coming generations will not forgive us if we fail to safeguard these properties which are for our coming generations until the end of time.
“We also hope that you will interact with Muslim community organisations on this and other issues in order to listen to them and benefit from their inputs while formulating policies and initiatives.”