<p>Munambam (Kochi): It has been a year since Union Minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju visited the Munambam coastal village near Kochi in Kerala and assured the 610 families that their concerns over the Kerala Waqf Board's claim on their lands will be resolved with the Waqf law amendment made by the BJP-NDA government at the Centre.</p><p>One year down the line, the plight of the people remains the same, whereas the BJP-NDA made electoral gains by winning local body elections in the region for the first time.</p><p>Political interventions even led to division in the joint agitation by 610 families, mostly Christians as well as Hindus. </p><p>On the 414th day of the stir on November 30, a section ended the stir that was progressing on the premises of the Venkani Matha Church at Munambam after the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala assured relief to them.</p><p>However, another section decided to go ahead with the stir, with the support of the BJP-NDA, holding the CPI(M) government responsible for their plight.</p>.Kerala woman on group trek goes missing in Madikeri, search operation underway.<p>"Neither with the union minister's visit, nor with the visit of leaders of all political parties, we received no relief at all," says Stella, who was one among the two women on relay hunger strike during the 535th day of agitation, when <em>DH</em> visited them.</p><p>Sitting on the worn out agitation shed close to the huge seawall to protect the region from sea erosion, the scorching sun couldn't deter their hope induced by political parties.</p><p>"We are now living on hope only as we have no other options. Many of us are forced to postpone marriage of our children, their higher study needs, home maintenance and even medical needs as we could not raise money by mortgaging or selling out land," says Stella.</p><p>Vincent, another local resident adds, "We are now pinning hopes on the BJP only. Earlier all of us were either with the Congress or Communist parties. But since they could not help us, we have shifted our loyalty to the BJP." </p><p>BJP candidate Kunjumon Augustine won the Munambam Kadappuram ward in Pallippuram panchayat at Munambam.</p><p>Fr. Antony Xavier Tharayil, parish priest of the Velankani Matha church, said that the decision to end the stir temporarily was taken as two state ministers came down and assured that our problems would be resolved. </p><p>"The ministers had assured us relief following the Kerala High court observations in October that the Waqf board declaration of our land as Waqf land was not legal. But still the State Waqf board is opposing our plights and the SC even stayed the HC order," said Fr. Tharayil.</p><p>The action council is now planning to resume the stir, says Joseph Benny, leader of the action council.</p><p>Fr. Tharayil said that as the candidates approached for votes in this election, the people here would use their conscience to elect those who could resolve their issues. "Those who were in power couldn't help up so far," he added.</p><p>The Munambam land row started in 2019 with the Waqf board staking claim over the land owned by around 610 families citing that those were Waqf properties donated to Farook college in Kozhikode by one Siddique Sait in 1950. By 2022 the families were unable to pay land tax at the village office. Even as the state government issued orders allowing them to pay tax, a forum under the banner Waqf Samrakshana Samathi (Waqf protection forum) moved court against the government decision and got it stayed.</p>
<p>Munambam (Kochi): It has been a year since Union Minister for minority affairs Kiren Rijiju visited the Munambam coastal village near Kochi in Kerala and assured the 610 families that their concerns over the Kerala Waqf Board's claim on their lands will be resolved with the Waqf law amendment made by the BJP-NDA government at the Centre.</p><p>One year down the line, the plight of the people remains the same, whereas the BJP-NDA made electoral gains by winning local body elections in the region for the first time.</p><p>Political interventions even led to division in the joint agitation by 610 families, mostly Christians as well as Hindus. </p><p>On the 414th day of the stir on November 30, a section ended the stir that was progressing on the premises of the Venkani Matha Church at Munambam after the ruling CPI(M) in Kerala assured relief to them.</p><p>However, another section decided to go ahead with the stir, with the support of the BJP-NDA, holding the CPI(M) government responsible for their plight.</p>.Kerala woman on group trek goes missing in Madikeri, search operation underway.<p>"Neither with the union minister's visit, nor with the visit of leaders of all political parties, we received no relief at all," says Stella, who was one among the two women on relay hunger strike during the 535th day of agitation, when <em>DH</em> visited them.</p><p>Sitting on the worn out agitation shed close to the huge seawall to protect the region from sea erosion, the scorching sun couldn't deter their hope induced by political parties.</p><p>"We are now living on hope only as we have no other options. Many of us are forced to postpone marriage of our children, their higher study needs, home maintenance and even medical needs as we could not raise money by mortgaging or selling out land," says Stella.</p><p>Vincent, another local resident adds, "We are now pinning hopes on the BJP only. Earlier all of us were either with the Congress or Communist parties. But since they could not help us, we have shifted our loyalty to the BJP." </p><p>BJP candidate Kunjumon Augustine won the Munambam Kadappuram ward in Pallippuram panchayat at Munambam.</p><p>Fr. Antony Xavier Tharayil, parish priest of the Velankani Matha church, said that the decision to end the stir temporarily was taken as two state ministers came down and assured that our problems would be resolved. </p><p>"The ministers had assured us relief following the Kerala High court observations in October that the Waqf board declaration of our land as Waqf land was not legal. But still the State Waqf board is opposing our plights and the SC even stayed the HC order," said Fr. Tharayil.</p><p>The action council is now planning to resume the stir, says Joseph Benny, leader of the action council.</p><p>Fr. Tharayil said that as the candidates approached for votes in this election, the people here would use their conscience to elect those who could resolve their issues. "Those who were in power couldn't help up so far," he added.</p><p>The Munambam land row started in 2019 with the Waqf board staking claim over the land owned by around 610 families citing that those were Waqf properties donated to Farook college in Kozhikode by one Siddique Sait in 1950. By 2022 the families were unable to pay land tax at the village office. Even as the state government issued orders allowing them to pay tax, a forum under the banner Waqf Samrakshana Samathi (Waqf protection forum) moved court against the government decision and got it stayed.</p>