New Delhi. Modi government is going to make big changes in the Waqf Act 1954. Last Friday, under the chairmanship of PM Modi, 40 amendments of the Waqf Act Bill were approved. Preparations are on to pass this bill in the current session of Parliament. Modi government claims that after the passing of this bill, the powers of the Waqf Board will become more transparent than before. After its passing, for the first time, participation of Muslim women will be ensured in the Waqf Board. In the new bill, there is a proposal to include a magistrate in the monitoring of the land or any kind of property of the Waqf Board.
Let us tell you that the Waqf Act was implemented in the country in 1954. The first amendment to this Act was made in the year 1995 and the second amendment was made in the year 2013. The Modi government is now going to make the third amendment to the Waqf Board and propose verification to ensure more transparency than before. The purpose of the change in the Waqf Act is to control the property donated to the Waqf and to ensure the participation of women as well.
Preparations underway to make third amendment in Wakf Board
But, now the opposition to this Act has started. JDU, an important constituent of the NDA government and the State Shia Waqf Board Chairman Afzal Abbas, who is close to Bihar Chief Minister Nitish Kumar, has opposed the amendment in the bill. Abbas says in a conversation with News 18 Hindi, ‘Look, the first thing is that these people should have first talked to the people of the society and then brought a bill. The second thing is that our ancestors had donated the property of the Waqf Board for the benefit of the society. But now preparations are underway to weaken it.’
Abbas further says, ‘What amendments are being made in the bill? I do not know about it. But, if there is a deliberate attempt to weaken the society, then it will not be right. As far as the participation of women is concerned, there are 7 members in the Waqf Board. One is from MP quota, one is from MLA quota. There are people associated with a social organization, one is associated with law and one is an Islamic scholar, so where will you accommodate women?’
Voices of protest began to rise within the NDA itself
Let us tell you that in the year 2013, the UPA government had increased the powers of the Waqf Board. There was a lot of resentment in the Muslim community over increasing the powers of the Waqf Board. People like the current Governor of Kerala, Arif Mohammad Khan, had criticized the UPA government a lot for increasing the powers of the Waqf Board. Especially poor Muslims, Muslim women, children of divorced women as well as people of Muslim communities like Shia and Bohra started demanding changes in the law. These people alleged that there is no place for common Muslims in the Waqf Board. Only powerful people are taking advantage of it. There is no account of how much money the Waqf Board receives and where it goes.
The Waqf Board Act was first passed in the country in the year 1954. It was first amended in the year 1995 and the second amendment in the year 2013. Let us tell you that India has the highest number of Waqf properties in the world. The Waqf Board generates a revenue of about Rs 200 crore annually. The Central Government, State Government or even the courts of the country do not interfere in the properties and revenue of the Waqf Board. However, the Sachar Committee had also said that there should be transparency in the Waqf Board.
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In such a situation, now the Modi government is going to make changes in the existing law. The center, state and courts can also intervene in this. Participation of women will be ensured. The new bill will have a provision that only Muslims can create Waqf property. Waqf property will have to be registered in the office of the District Magistrate. Also, in places where there is no Waqf Board, one can now go to the tribunal. The old disputed land of the Waqf Board will be verified.
Tags: CM Nitish Kumar, shia waqf board, Waqf Board
FIRST PUBLISHED : August 5, 2024, 18:00 IST
