The Waqf Board has laid claim on land in 18 villages of Tamil Nadu, asserting that these 389 acres were granted to the Board in 1954 based on a government survey. This claim is supported by a 220-page document recently submitted to the sub-registrar's office, which has led to a temporary halt on land sales by farmers. Consequently, villagers are anxious and frequently visiting the registrar's office for clarity. A similar issue arose in Tiruchirappalli, where the locals, pointing out their Hindu-majority area with a 1500-year-old temple, question the legitimacy of the Waqf Board's claim.
In a conversation with AajTak, the Chairperson of the Waqf Board, M Abdul Rahman, explained that the sub-registrar's office has imposed an interim restriction on land-related activities based on their request. He clarified that the 1954 government survey accurately registered the land as Waqf property, and the survey reports for all the villages have been forwarded to the sub-registrar's office, encompassing large tracts of land.
1954 Survey Cited as Basis
Rahman emphasized that the land survey data from 1954, recorded in their Waqf Board logs, accurately reflected the government's assessment, and this data, categorized by survey numbers or village names, has been shared with the sub-registrar's office. He acknowledged the challenge in providing information for a large property but promised that all necessary records from their archives would be provided to clear any confusion. However, he couldn't specify the timeline for this process.
Claiming 389 Acres Post-Survey
Based on their records, the Waqf Board asserts ownership of the 389 acres surveyed and recognized by the government in 1954 as Waqf property. Rahman stated, "We will present the information from our archives to the sub-registrar's office. People can continue farming on this land, but they cannot claim ownership."
'Avoiding Religious Connotations'
Avoiding religious-based politics, Rahman noted, “Some Waqf properties have notable details in our title deeds which mention that specific tracts of this land include two or three places for temples and temple ponds. We take pride that these Waqf properties have been allocated for temples and temple ponds. Any charitable property or land should be for public welfare. Assigning a religious connotation is not appropriate."
