Church-run daily calls Waqf Amendment Bill a test of secularism, warns Kerala MPs

Thiruvananthapuram: A leading daily run by the Catholic Church in Kerala on Tuesday described the Waqf amendment bill as a crucial test of secularism in Parliament and cautioned MPs from the state that failing to support it would mark them in history as endorsing religious fundamentalism.

The editorial in Deepika daily comes as the union government moves to table the Waqf (Amendment) Bill for parliamentary consideration during the ongoing Budget session.

Parliamentary Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju has said the government was prepared to introduce the bill and accused certain organisations of "misleading Muslims."

"It is time for political parties to make a final decision on the Waqf law amendment. The demand is not to abolish the Waqf law, but to amend the provisions that allow encroachment and deny constitutional remedies. This does not deny justice to any member of the Muslim community," the editorial said.

The paper added that it will also put an end to the injustices faced by thousands of Hindu, Christian, and Muslim citizens who have suffered due to the Waqf law.

"If Congress and CPI(M) still fail to understand this reasoning, there is nothing more to say," it stated, increasing pressure on the Congress and the CPI(M) in the state.

"The Waqf amendment bill is a test of secularism in Parliament. Whether or not you support it, its passage is another matter. But if you don't support it, the religious fundamentalist stance of Kerala MPs will go down in history--history that secular generations will hold them accountable for," the editorial said.

It stated that the government can introduce the Waqf amendment bill in Parliament at any time.

"Even if the 'INDIA' alliance opposes it, Congress and CPI(M) are once again urged to vote in favour of amending the Waqf law, which has displaced hundreds of families in Munambam," it added.

The editorial also recalled the recent statement addressed to Kerala MPs by Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC).

KCBC President Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis Catholicos had said: "Provisions in the Waqf law that validate claims over land which people of Munambam have lawfully possessed and enjoyed for years must be amended."

"The Farook College itself, which sold land to the people of Munambam, has confirmed that the said land was originally received as a donation. In this context, people's representatives should cooperate in amending the Waqf law to remove provisions that enable such disputes," he had said.

Opposition parties are strongly opposed to the bill, slamming it as "unconstitutional" and against the interest of the Muslim community. Several leading Muslim organisations have been rallying support against the bill, which was scrutinised by a Joint Committee of Parliament and approved with several amendments.

Speaking to reporters on Monday, Rijiju accused some political parties and organisations, a clear reference to the opposition and Muslim bodies, of resorting to lies to mislead society and stoke tensions, while insisting that the bill is in the interest of Muslims.