Munambam land row: CM to hold talks with protesters

Thiruvananthapuram: Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan will hold talks with the people protesting over the disputed land in Munambam. The CM will have a virtual conference with the representatives of the protest committee on Saturday at 4 pm. The government took this step after appointing a judicial commission to study the issue. While the government decided to freeze all procedures to evict the landholders, the protesters staged a demonstration on Friday night, calling the judicial probe a sham intended to delay justice.

Former Kerala High Court Acting Chief Justice CN Ramachandran Nair will head the commission, Law Minister P Rajeev announced after a high-level meeting on Friday. The minister assured that no residents in possession of land in Munambam would face eviction and that their legal rights would be protected.

"The decision to set up the judicial commission has been taken with the aim of finding a permanent solution without evicting anyone. The commission will examine matters, including the ownership of the land," the minister said.

He also stated that the Wakf Board has been directed not to take any action until a further decision is made. The government has requested them to stop issuing land acquisition notices and initiating any further action on previously issued notices, which they have agreed to, he added. According to the minister, 12 notices have been issued so far. The government will take measures to allow the people to pay taxes on the properties they own.

"Although it was decided earlier to allow payment of land tax, the High Court had stayed it," the minister said, adding that the government will take action through the court to vacate the stay.
The commission has been directed to complete its proceedings within three months, and the decisions made during the high-level meeting will be discussed with the protesters, the minister added.

In the villages of Cherai and Munambam in Ernakulam district, residents have alleged that the Wakf Board is unlawfully claiming their land and properties, despite the people holding registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.

The ongoing protests escalated after the Syro-Malabar Church and other organizations extended solidarity with the residents. In light of this, the CM convened the meeting to resolve the issue. However, the Munambam Bhoo Samrakshana Samiti stated that they would continue the protest. According to them, the probe by the judicial commission will only delay a permanent solution. The residents staged another protest in Munambam on Friday and warned that they would intensify their strike.

According to the protesting residents, the land they currently occupy was purchased from the management of Farook College, Kozhikode. The case regarding the property dispute is still pending in the High Court.

Meanwhile, the hearing on the Munambam Wakf land issue, which came up before the Wakf Tribunal headed by Judge Rajan Thattil in Kozhikode on Friday, has been adjourned to December 6. The appeal was filed by Farook College, the beneficiary of the reported Wakf deed, against the decision of the Kerala State Wakf Board to enlist the Munambam land as Wakf property.