The Shillong Muslim Union (SMU) has alleged that the Waqf Amendment Bill which was passed by Parliament last week was nothing but to make the Muslims of the country landless.
General secretary of the SMU, Noor Nongrum, on Sunday said that Waqf is a Muslim institution contrary to the claim of the central government.
He said that the amended act violates their fundamental rights because now they have to prove that they are Muslims. “I have to prove it to the government and the government will decide whether I am a Muslim or not. So, my fundamental rights have been taken away,” he said.
The SMU on Sunday convened a meeting of various Muslim organisations to discuss recent developments regarding Waqf land in India, especially the passage of the Waqf Amendment Bill in both houses of Parliament.
Nongrum also expressed his regret over what he described as misinformation intended by the government.
He noted that many of the provisions presented as new were already part of the existing framework in the Waqf Act.
He informed that the right to challenge the decisions of the Waqf Tribunal in the High Court has always existed and the government is misleading the people by presenting this as a new amendment.
He also questioned the composition of the Waqf Board, as the new amendment allowed people from other religions to become members in it.
He said earlier the board also had Muslim members appointed by the government from different communities, including IAS officers and women members.
While welcoming the new rules on the establishment of the Waqf Board, he argued that it should be equal for all and Muslims should also be allowed as board members in the Trusts of temples, churches, or monasteries.
“As our beloved Prime Minister said – one country, one law. So, it should be in other religious groups too. It would be very nice. Now a non-Muslim can be a member of the Waqf board. The Prime Minister said, ‘One Country, One Law’.”
At the same time, Nongrum expressed his gratitude to the 238 Members of Parliament who opposed the bill, most of whom are non-Muslims.
