Poonam Sharma
Waqf Board’s Fresh Move Worries Hundreds of Families
Kerala’s Munambam land dispute just took another turn and people are on edge again. The Waqf Board officially registered 404 acres of contested land on the Central Government’s UMEED portal. That sparked new tension in the coastal area, and local families are angry. So are opposition parties, who say the new Congress-led government isn’t doing enough to protect the people living there.
Right after the United Democratic Front (UDF) got back in power, the Waqf Board registered as the “Mutawalli” — basically, the legal custodian of the disputed land. For hundreds of Hindu and Christian families who’ve lived there for generations, this just made things feel more uncertain.
Residents Say Their Rights Are at Risk
The land in Munambam has been at the heart of political and legal fights for years. More than 600 families say they’ve lived there for decades and have every right to the property.
Now the Waqf Board’s move to upload paperwork and register the land online has really ramped up people’s fears. Residents believe this could give the Board a stronger hand, even while the courts haven’t settled the issue. Many are angry, claiming nobody listened to their worries before the registration pushed through.
Politics Heats Up
No surprise, politics took over fast. BJP leaders accused the Congress-led government of caring more about keeping allies happy than helping local people. They say the government hasn’t kept its campaign promises about settling Munambam’s dispute.
Critics are reminding everyone of pledges Congress made before the election—that if UDF won, they’d sort this quickly. Those promises still aren’t reality. Congress officials, meanwhile, say this isn’t simple at all; it’s tied up in legal knots and will have to play out in court.
Protests and Growing Anger
People aren’t just sitting back. For more than a year, Munambam residents have been staging relay hunger strikes, protests, and rallies to raise awareness.
Joseph Benny, the Munambam Land Protection Committee convener, loudly condemned the registration. He called it illegal and a blow to local families. Other community leaders worry this step might muddy up the legal fight and throw more obstacles in the way of people trying to defend their homes.
Now, protesters have handed over demands to the state government. They want immediate action—and they want the Waqf Board out of the picture.
Old Arguments, New Fears
This land battle goes way back. In 1950, Mohammed Siddiq Sait is said to have donated a big chunk of land to Farook College, which later became part of the Waqf Board’s holdings.
Things got heated in 2019, as questions over ownership and rights grabbed headlines. By 2021, authorities reportedly stopped collecting land taxes from residents, adding to worries about who really owns the land.
Now, Munambam’s case has turned into one of Kerala’s most watched disputes, drawing attention from politicians, religious groups, and legal experts.
Court Fight Isn’t Over
Nothing is settled in court yet. In October 2025, the Kerala High Court shot down the Waqf Board’s bid for the land and labeled it a land grab. Waqf Board supporters quickly appealed to the Supreme Court, which put the High Court ruling on hold. So the whole matter hangs in limbo.
With the Supreme Court still weighing the final outcome, the Waqf Board’s move on the UMEED portal has made things even messier.
Munambam’s families don’t know what their future holds. They’re stuck between political blame games, legal battles, and rivals fighting for the land they call home. The court’s decision won’t just determine who owns the property—it’ll decide the fate of an entire community.
