Ground report | Waqf claim leaves Tiruchendurai Hindus, Muslims in a fix

A Tamil Nadu village whose ownership has allegedly been claimed by the Waqf Board has brought together its Hindu residents and Muslim groups. As a population, they are seeking the factual details of a blazing row that has triggered a national furore.

The issue concerns the Waqf Board's claim of ownership of the entire village of Tiruchendurai in Tiruchi district, including the land on which an ancient Lord Shiva temple is built. Key Hindu and Muslim leaders in the village want the state government and the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board to clarify the situation.

Even as the dispute simmers, the upcoming Winter Session of Parliament is expected to see a report on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 that seeks to give the Central government a greater say on Waqf affairs.

Also read | Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024: A deep dive into concerns and controversies

Uncertainty in village

Despite two years of inquiry, neither the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board nor the Union Minority Affairs Ministry has provided evidence to support the declaration of the entire village as Waqf property.

Although people in Tiruchendurai are now permitted to carry out land transactions without a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Waqf Board, uncertainty looms over future land deals.

Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju raised the issue in Parliament on August 9 this year, saying the 1,500-year-old village, predominantly Hindu, had been declared a Waqf property.

He said the Waqf Board had claimed ownership of ancestral lands, including the TiruchenduraiChandrasekhara Swamy Temple, which he said was over 1,000 years old.

“An entire village has been given to the Waqf Board,” he said, adding that while villagers were temporarily registering deeds through negotiations, they desired a permanent resolution to the problem.

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Since then, both Hindus and Muslims in Tiruchi district have demanded that Rijiju as well as K Nawaskani, chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, provide documentary evidence for the ownership claim over 380 acres of land in Tiruchendurai village and future prospects of the assets in the village.

How it all began

The controversy began in 2022, when a farmer in the village, Rajagopal, could not sell his agricultural land to repay a loan because the Waqf Board claimed the entire village was its property.

The requirement for an NOC from the Waqf Board subsequently affected many villagers. Although the Tamil Nadu government has clarified that an NOC is no longer required for land transactions in the village, questions remain about the legitimacy of the Waqf Board's claim and the evidence supporting it.

Speaking to The Federal, Jayashree Raja (70) of Tiruchendurai expressed concerns over the uncertainty. "We have lived in this village for three generations. My father-in-law bought this house and my husband was born here. We have proper records for our property. How can this land be claimed as Waqf property?” she asked.

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“I want to convert my house into a trust for religious purposes, but I'm worried my children will face trouble due to this controversy," she added.

Muslim objections

Meanwhile, the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath has organised demonstrations state-wide in opposition to the Waqf Amendment Bill. The group charges that the Modi government is attempting to seize Waqf properties.

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The Muslim bodies also accuse the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board and the state government of delaying the publication of documents regarding Waqf properties, which they say is fuelling insecurity in Tiruchendurai.

Gulam Thasthakeer, general secretary of the Tamil Nadu Thowheed Jamath in Trichy, told The Federal: "We have petitioned the Waqf Board to declare the survey numbers of properties in this village. Rather than referring to the entire village, they should specify the exact survey numbers."

“This controversy is affecting social harmony, especially because there is a temple involved. We have also demanded the same from the state government. The Tiruchendurai village issue has sparked national discussions," he said.

Like others, he is aware that it is the situation in Tiruchendurai that led to the introduction of the new amended Waqf Act. Both the Tamil Nadu and Union governments should take responsibility for providing clarity, he said.

“The government must publish survey numbers and historical records from the archives. When a Union minister makes such a significant claim, they must provide evidence to back it up."

Continuing confusion

Abdur Rahman, a former chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, previously stated that the Board holds all the necessary documents related to the property and that these records are stored in state and national archives.

Also read | Karnataka: BJP, Congress fight over alleged land grab by Waqf board

However, Rahman was removed from his position in September 2024 amid the growing controversy.

Attempts by The Federal to contact Nawaskani, the current chairperson of the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board, were unsuccessful as he did not respond to calls or emails.

No NOC needed, says Collector

Tiruchendurai panchayat president Sudha Govindarajan expressed confusion over the issue.

"There is no record with the local body regarding the ownership of land by the Waqf Board. To this day, there is no clear information on how the Union minister made the claim in Parliament and how the Waqf Board claimed the land nor how the amendment of the Act will resolve the issue," said Govindarajan.