Munambam land dispute: Kerala govt forms judicial commission; minister says 'no eviction'

Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has decided to freeze all procedures to evict families from the disputed Wakf land in Munambam, Minister P Rajeeve said on Friday. Addressing the media, he stated that the government had formed a judicial commission under Justice CN Ramachandran to study the dispute over the land. The commission is expected to submit its report to the government within three months.

The minister told reporters that no action would be taken against the landowners regarding the eviction notice that was previously served, and no fresh eviction notices would be issued. He added that directions were given to Wakf Board regarding this.

Residents of Cherai and Munambam, in Ernakulam district have been staging a protest over the land dispute. They alleged that the Wakf Board was unlawfully claiming their land and properties, despite the people holding registered deeds and land tax payment receipts.

Though the government decided to freeze the eviction procedures, the protesters condemned the government's decision to appoint a judicial commission to study the issue. They alleged that the commission would delay the resolution of the matter.

Additionally, Revenue Minister K Rajan told reporters that the government would file a review petition in the High Court to allow the land dwellers to pay their land tax. The government also appealed to the protesters to end their strike.

The Munambam Wakf land issue
The dispute began in 2019 when the Wakf Board claimed ownership over land allegedly donated to Farook College in Kozhikode by Siddique Sait in 1950. The residents, who bought the land before the Wakf Act was introduced in 1954, claim that they legally purchased it from the college management and that it was not classified as Wakf property then.

By 2022, these families could not pay land taxes at the village office, but a temporary intervention by the state government allowed them to proceed. However, the Wakf Samrakshana Samathi (Wakf Protection Forum) contested this decision, resulting in a court order that paused tax payments. The residents petitioned the high court, seeking intervention in declaring certain sections of the Wakf Act unconstitutional. The ongoing legal proceedings have heightened tensions in the predominantly Christian community.