Kerala: Thalappuzha Residents In Wayanad Worried After Waqf Board’s Land Encroachment Notice

Thalappuzha residents in Kerala’s Wayanad district are grappling with anxiety after a notice from the Kerala State Waqf Board accusing several families of encroaching on land adjacent to a mosque.

As per reports, the notice served to four Muslim families and one Hindu in the Thavinhal gram panchayat in Mananthavady demands that they show their property documents at the board’s regional office in Kozhikode by November 16 and participate in an online hearing on November 19.

The affected families include Ravi, C.V. Hamza, V.P. Salim, Jamal and Rahmath.

Reports suggest that while Ravi and Rahmath have not built structures on the contested land, the others have constructed houses and shops. These families, however, hold valid title deeds and have been paying land taxes regularly. 

One structure on the land reportedly has documentation dating back to 1948, as per records from the Thavinhal panchayat.

Residents deny Wakf Board's claims

C.V. Hamza and Jamal both in a statement to the media have claimed that they are the rightful owners of the land.

The Waqf Board’s action follows a complaint by the managing committee of the Hidayathul Islam Jamaat Mosque, which claims that 4.7 acres of its land were alienated over the years. The mosque currently retains 67 cents of land, which includes a madrassa and a cemetery.

As per reports, in response to the notices, the affected residents have formed an action council and submitted memorandums to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan and Minister for Welfare of Scheduled Castes, Scheduled Tribes, and Backward Classes O.R. Kelu, urging their intervention.

Although only five families have received notices so far, apprehension is growing among other residents in the area that they too may face similar actions from the board.

The land under dispute falls under survey numbers 47/1 and 45/1, according to revenue records. The contested site has a history of mixed-use, with residential and commercial developments alongside the mosque property.

As the November deadlines approach, the families remain uncertain about the outcome of the proceedings and are seeking support from the local authorities to secure their long-held properties.