BJP, the ruling party of India, is at it again: its old game of targeting Muslims. It aims to satisfy its Hindu vote bank which is largely communalised. BJP knows that it can garner more Hindu votes by harming Muslims.
The party this time has brought out an amendment bill targeting the 20 crore strong Muslim minority of this plural country. This new bill, BJP claims, is aimed at improving the condition of Waqf properties for the enhanced benefit of Muslims. It failed in its attempt to get the bill passed with its brute majority. Due to stiff opposition, it was forced to refer it to the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC). It used all possible tantrums to misuse the proceedings of the JPC. Now in the present Budget Session of Lok Sabha, BJP is using all methods to somehow get the bill passed.
A waqf is an institution in which a Muslim dedicates his personal property for the benefit of common Muslims in the name of Almighty Allah, to seek His pleasure. A waqf property can’t be resold or used for any other purpose. Such awqaf (pl. of waqf) are spread over the whole country and it is claimed that they make the third largest concentration of properties after those of Indian Railways and Indian Military.
The Central Waqf Board of India and state Waqf Boards supervise mosques, orphanages, graveyards, schools – both religious and secular, and a lot of other welfare institutions.
It is an undeniable fact that the BJP wants to reduce Muslims to second class citizens, and if possible even to the third-class citizens. Therefore, the whole Muslim community has collectively decided that they will use all peaceful and constitutional methods to oppose the more than 40 proposed amendments to the present Waqf Act.
The BJP-led government is hell bent to use all unconstitutional, illegal and questionable methods to get the bill passed and deprive the Muslims of their constitutional right to continue voluntary services for the benefit of Muslims and others.
The bill proposes inclusion of Non-Muslims in the management of awqaf. Hindus, Sikhs, Christians, etc. also have independent institutions which are maintained solely by the respective communities. Then, why are Muslim awqafare being targeted to wrest their control by including Non-Muslims in waqf management? The ill-intended over forty amendments will completely spoil and fully damage the institution of awqaf. Waqf must be fully managed by the Muslims, as other religious communities are managing their awqafs.
There are countless properties and institutions which are declared as “Waqf by User”. Most of such awqaf are hundreds of years old. But the bill proposes to abolish all such old awqaf which do not have the documents of their origin and registration etc. The anti-Muslim dispensation desires to control all such old awqaf. This will lead to capturing lakhs of such properties. There is a grave danger that the communal and anti-Muslim dispensation will destroy the whole institution of awqaf.
Awqaf are governed under Islamic laws which enjoy the constitutional protection and the fundamental rights of the Muslim community guaranteed by the Constitution.
Up to now the cases of awqaf were being decided by tribunals and there was provision to challenge the tribunals’ verdicts in High Courts and the Supreme Court. But the anti-Muslim bill wants to give these powers to district collectors. One can understand that these collectors will be used as puppets and they will act at the behest of the government. Many waqf properties have been encroached upon and some are even under the illegal possession of the government. All such properties will be snatched from the Waqf Board and would be transferred to whomsoever the government favours.
Therefore, to protect their fundamental rights guaranteed by the Constitution, the Muslims with the help of all democratic and justice-loving citizens, will legally and peacefully struggle and not allow the government of India to deprive them of their rights. In Sha Allah, our fight and success will guarantee and strengthen the safeguardsavailable to all other minorities, marginalise andoppressed sections of India.