Safeguarding Wakf property is imperative
Whenever Sangh Parivar cries of injustice being meted out to Hindus, one of the main accusations it levels is that the funds for ‘hindu temples are being diverted to minorities’. At the same time it also forgets the fact that there is a department of Wakf in existence, and a Wakf minister to take care of that.There is also a board that possesses highest share of land for a minority community, up to almost four lakh acre.
After Railway and Defence, Wakf holds the highest amount of land in the country. About 54,000 acres of land is in the possession of Wakf board in the state. And this property was not given to the Wakf board to appease the minority community, but this share of has over 800 years of history.
The kings, zamindars and rich people without heirs have consistently donated this land for the benefit of muslims. More than 3 lakh Wakf properties have been registered in the country. But the main question that continues to haunt even after five decades is; why all the property worth thousands of crores has not been utilized for the betterment of Muslim community? Leaders do not want to find answers for this.
Though there is nearly four lakh acres of land under Wakf board, this is in the possession of random persons and organisations. Outlook magazine has described this irregularity as the biggest land scam of India. The muslim leaders or religious heads are not showing any interest in this matter of illegal encroachment of land as much as they would focus on two and half acres of land. The community has been kept in dark over this matter.
According to sources, many prominent Muslim leaders are hand in glove with perpetrators of this crime. If a serious investigation is taken up, many Muslim leaders’ names would be out in the open. Hence, this scam remains under wraps. On one hand there is encroachment, and on the other there is large scale cheating in the name of lease. The Windsor Manor case is the best instance to understand how this hoodwinking happens.
Can one guess the rent the hotel has been paying for 1.65 lakh sq ft land it stands on? A mere Rs 1500! The hotel took this land on lease from Wakf board in 1973 for a period of 30 years. Eventually it was extended to 90 years. And the rent that is paid for this since 1970 remains unchanged. It is Rs 1500 then, and even now. The case is in the court right now. Not only this, many such cases are in the court and continue to languish there. W
hen Yeddyurappa government was in power, it used the Wakf cases to safeguard itself of the corruption charges. A committee headed by Anwar Manippadi was set up to prepare a report on the Wakf property irregularities. This was set up with Congress as the target and only for political reasons. Anwar Manippadi too, prepared a report that could please the BJP. Whatever be the reasons, that a report was prepared on Wakf land deals itself is a matter of solace for the Muslims. But since this was used only for political purposes, it lost its value. If BJP was any interested in dealing with corruption, the party would have handed over the corruption charges to CBI. At least the Congress government that subsequently assumed power, could have done this. But none took the next step.
As per the Manippadi report, more than half of the 54,000 acres of land, evaluated at 2.5 lakh crore has been encroached. This is a fact known to almost everyone. The report had suggested a judicial enquiry into the matter.
The Wakf Property Task Force in 1998 had recommended the illegal properties should be taken back into possession and a transparent higher level committee be formed. The Congress government had the power to hand over this case or start fresh investigation on this to understand the gravity of this property mismanagement. But this report was not even referred to because many Congress leaders’ names had figured in the report of having been party to the irregularity. There are no chances of any fresh investigation now, and the reason is more than evident now.
Now Wakf property mismanagement has been referred to, again in the session. Minister Zameer said this has to be handed over to the CBI, and quickly withdrew his words. The Muslims do not expect much from the new coalition government. But if the government can help the Wakf board recover its property and spend the proceedings for the benefit of poor Muslims, they would be more than grateful to the government. Is this too much to expect?
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Inappropriate for MLAs seeking free IPL tickets, says D.K. Suresh
Bengaluru: Bengaluru Milk Union Ltd President D.K. Suresh on Monday said it is inappropriate for MLAs to seek free IPL tickets, adding that those interested in watching matches should pay for them personally.
Speaking to reporters near his residence in Sadashivanagar, he said, “IPL is a commercial tournament and does not represent the country. It is not right for public representatives to focus too much on such matters.”
Referring to the recent controversy during the RCB celebrations, he said, “let us find out who benefited the most from the statements made during the incident.” He also pointed out that BJP MLAs had received IPL tickets as well.
Responding to discussions about relocating the Chinnaswamy Stadium, Suresh said the government has already approved the construction of a new stadium at a location he had proposed.
“I had suggested building a stadium in Surya City and submitted a proposal for it. Bengaluru needs four stadiums in four directions to cater to its growing population and encourage youth participation in sports,” he said.
He noted that apart from Kanteerava Stadium, KSCA, and the Football Stadium, there are limited facilities in the city.
“When I was a Lok Sabha member, I had proposed allocating 100 acres in my constituency at Surya City. The land was later earmarked and the plan approved,” he added.
Suresh said he has discussed the project with Minister Zameer Ahmed Khan, Rajiv Gandhi Housing Corporation Chairman Shivalingegowda, and Anekal MLA Shivanna.
“The Cabinet has now approved the project, and a stadium will be developed on around 50–60 acres,” he said.
He further added that he has requested the Deputy Chief Minister to build another stadium at Shivarama Karanth Layout through the BDA, where 40 acres have been allocated. Plans are also being discussed to develop a well-equipped stadium in Bidadi.
Commending state government's recent bilingual policy move, Suresh said forcing children to learn three languages could affect their comprehension.
“It is a good decision to make two languages compulsory. Learning a third language should be left to the choice of students and parents,” he said.
Responding to criticism from BJP leaders, he said their tendency is to oppose every decision of the government.
“To please their central leadership, they take a pro-Hindi stance. Instead, they should advocate for the adoption of Kannada in all states,” he said.
When asked about the earlier three-language policy under Congress, he said, “the situation is different now. Today, the focus should be on quality learning. Kannada should remain the primary language, while students and parents can choose an additional language.”
