Hurriyat Conference Chairman and Chief Cleric of Jammu and Kashmir, Mirwaiz Umar Farooq. File
| Photo Credit: PTI
Kashmir’s chief cleric and Hurriyat chairman Mirwaiz Umar Farooq will meet Jagdambika Pal, chairman of the Joint Parliamentary Committee (JPC) on the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024 after the Union Ministry of Home Affairs gave its nod to the meeting.
Confirming the development, the Mirwaiz told The Hindu that the meeting had been fixed for the morning of Friday (January 17, 2025) at the residence of Mr. Pal, who had otherwise winded up consultations. “We were hoping that the JPC would visit Kashmir for feedback but it did not happen. We intend to apprise the viewpoint of Muslims from J&K and Ladakh. We have the backing of the organisations of Leh and Kargil as well,” the Mirwaiz told The Hindu.
“We have serious concerns about the Bill and will apprise the JPC about them. Several provisions of the Bill have far-reaching implications for the management and autonomy of Waqf properties, and the welfare of Muslim communities, especially the underprivileged,” he added.
The Mirwaiz, who also heads the Mutahida Majlis Ulema (MMU), a conglomerate of religious bodies of different Islamic sects and schools, advocates for the independence of the Waqf Board. “There should be no interference of the State in the Waqf’s affairs, except on broader issues. It should function independently as the custodian of Muslim properties and donations,” the Mirwaiz said.
On September 10, 2024, the Mirwaiz, as the patron of the MMU, sought a meeting with the JPC. However, for reasons that are not known, the meeting did not materialise. Sources said the forthcoming meeting has the Home Ministry’s nod. MP Asaduddin Owaisi, who heads the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, will also join the delegation from Kashmir.
Sources said Kashmir’s grand mufti Mufti Nasir Ul Islam; Maulana Rahmatullah Mir Qasmi, founder and rector of the Darul Uloom Raheemiyyah; Shia leader Aga Syed Mohsin Al Mosvi; Abdul Latif Alkindi, president of the Jamiat Ahle Hadit; and Maulana Ghulam Rasool Hami will be part of the delegation headed by the Mirwaiz.
It’s for the first time since 2004 that the Hurriyat leader is engaging with New Delhi. Earlier, the BJP-led National Democratic Alliance (NDA) engaged the Hurriyat, and its members met the then Deputy Prime Minister of India L.K. Advani in New Delhi. The talks, however, failed to bring any change on the ground.
Sources said the engagement between New Delhi and the Hurriyat on Waqf amendments has again opened up a window of dialogue. Sources privy to the development said a more structured dialogue may take place between New Delhi and the Huriyat after the Delhi Assembly election.
According to sources in the MMU, the amendments proposed by the Bill were “completely against the interests of the Muslim community and also violate the universally accepted fundamental rights of communities”.
“Proposed Amendments clearly indicate an attempt at controlling this institution. Our first concern is the proposed takeover of the Waqf by the Government through the authority of the Collector. Also, the arbitrary powers conferred upon the Collector with regard to both disputed and undisputed Waqf properties give him immense control. This action seeks to undermine the very purpose of the Waqf Act, which is to protect and preserve the properties dedicated to religious and charitable purposes by members of the Muslim community,” according to the MMU.
The MMU’s other major concern was “the reduction of Muslim representation and increase in the number of Non-Muslim representation up to 13 in Central Waqf Council and seven in State Waqf Boards”. “Even the provision that ‘the CEO of Waqf board shall be a Muslim has been removed’,” MMU members said.
Published – January 22, 2025 10:55 pm IST