General
India Passes Contentious Bill Increasing Oversight of Muslim Land Trusts
The legislation passed by Parliament on Friday would allow non-Muslims to help administer so-called Waqfs. The move fueled concerns that the rights of Muslims are being infringed on.
The Indian Parliament passed a controversial bill on Friday that increases government oversight of properties held by Muslim trusts, despite vocal protests that the religious minority was being singled out for interference.
The bill would allow the appointment of non-Muslims to panels administering the trusts, called Waqf boards, and empower state officials to be adjudicators of disputes.
The Waqfs — whose legal foundation in India is over 100 years old — are one of the largest landowners in the country, managing more than 800,000 properties covering nearly a million acres, according to government figures. A 2006 report commissioned by the government estimated the value of the properties — which include mosques, religious seminaries, graveyards and other land often donated by individuals — at over $14 billion.
Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s ruling party has said the changes in how the trusts are run was needed to improve efficiency and accountability, and prevent abuse.
Ahead of introducing the bill in Parliament for a vote, Kiren Rijiju, India’s minister for parliamentary and minority affairs, said the legislation was not an attack on Muslim rights but a necessary reform to protect Waqf assets from misuse.
“This is about transparency, not interference,” Mr. Rijiju said.
Unlike during Mr. Modi’s previous term, when he used an absolute majority to push legislation through Parliament with often heavy-handed swiftness, the Waqf bill underwent months of deliberation. It also saw two days of passionate but cordial debate that went well past midnight each day before the vote.
