Shillong, April 7: The Muslim community in Shillong has strongly criticized the Waqf Amendment Act, which was recently debated in Parliament and has received the assent of President Droupadi Murmu, calling it “a step to make Muslims landless”. They argue that the law not only undermines the sanctity of Waqf properties but also infringes upon the fundamental rights of Muslims in India.

According to Noor Nongrum, Assistant General Secretary of the Shillong Muslim Union, the most contentious provision in the amended law is a clause that allows Waqf properties to be taken back, a direct contradiction of the very concept of Waqf. “Waqf itself is a religious institution… Once it is a Waqf, it is always a Waqf. It is not a property given to anybody… Once if I do my property as Waqf, it is given to Allah and it is not recovered. It cannot be taken back,” Nongrum said, declaring that the amended law infringes into their religious tenets.

“It’s nothing but a step to make Muslims landless,” he asserted.

He further said the amended law violates their fundamental rights as now one needs to prove he or she is a Muslim. “I have to prove to the government and the government will decide whether I am Muslim or not. So, my fundamental right is taken away,” he said.

The Shillong Muslim Union on Sunday convened a meeting of various Muslim organizations to discuss recent developments concerning Waqf properties in India, particularly the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in both houses of Parliament.

Nongrum also expressed disappointment over what he described as deliberate misinformation by the government. He pointed out that many of the provisions being presented as new were already part of the existing framework in the Waqf Act. He informed that the right to challenge Waqf Tribunal decisions in the High Court has always been there, and the government is misleading the public by portraying this as a new legal reform.

He also raised questions on the composition of the Waqf Board, as the new amendment allows people from other faiths to be members in it. He said earlier too the board had government-appointed Muslim members from various backgrounds, including IAS officers and women members. Although he welcomed the new rule on composition of the Waqf Board, he argued that it should be uniform and Muslims should also be allowed as board members in trusts of temples, churches, or monasteries.

“As our beloved Prime Minister says – one nation, one law. So, it should be there in other religious based groups also. It will be very nice. Like today a non-Muslim can be a member of Waqf board. So why not we also have a Muslim in other temple as a member of the trust or in a Church or in a Buddhist monastery. So why two – two laws when our Prime Minister says one nation, one law,” he said.

At the same time, Nongrum expressed gratitude to the 238 Members of Parliament who opposed the bill, many of whom are non-Muslims. “They have heard our voice. So, from the core of our heart, we like to thank them. They have tried tooth and nail to stop (the amendment).”

Calling the amended law a ‘mistake’, Nongrum believes the Act will be struck down in Supreme Court. “As someone has said, majority does not mean that you are wise enough. So, majority also can make mistakes. And I say they have made a mistake,” he claimed adding “you will see that when it will be challenged in the Supreme Court, this law will again go away.”

Responding to reports that the Catholic Church supports the law, Nongrum dismissed the claim, saying no official statement has come from the Vatican. “No, you cannot say that Catholic Churches are supporting. It has not come from Rome. There may be some individuals, they can support… There may be difference. But, (when) you talk about the majority, I do not agree that the entire Catholic populations are supporting the bill,” he said.

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