Kerala Waqf Board rejig puts Muslim League leader at helm amid legal challenge
Thiruvananthapuram: The Kerala government has reconstituted the State Waqf Board, appointing Indian Union Muslim League state vice-president M.C. Mayin Haji as chairman in a politically significant move that could reshape equations among Muslim organisations in the state.
The nine-member board replaces the committee headed by K.S. Hamsa, appointed by the LDF government in March this year.
The decision was taken despite the board having more than four and a half years left in its term and a petition filed by Hamsa challenging its dissolution pending before the Kerala High Court.
The government had earlier informed the High Court that reconstitution of the board was necessary. It cited the alleged lack of prescribed qualifications among several members, and the court imposed restrictions on the existing board taking policy decisions, which had affected its functioning.
However, the sudden dissolution has raised questions over the government’s decision to replace the entire board within months of its formation.
Mayin Haji, a senior Muslim League leader with previous experience as a Waqf Board member, is seen as a choice acceptable to the League leadership. His appointment could help the government ease tensions with sections of the Muslim political establishment over the board’s functioning.
The inclusion of Musthafal Faizy, recently expelled from the Mushawara of the Samastha E.K. faction, is another politically significant decision. His appointment is likely to trigger debate within Samastha over the representation of dissenting voices.
Kurukkoli Moideen MLA will represent legislators on the board. The new committee also includes representatives of different Muslim organisations.
Notably, Jamaat-e-Islami has secured representation on the board for the first time, while the A.P. Sunni faction led by Kanthapuram A.P. Aboobacker Musliyar has not secured a place.
The government was also reportedly unhappy with former board member Umar Faizi Mukkam, the representative of mutawallis, over his public expressions of Left political affinity and differences with the government on policy matters.
The appointment of two non-Muslim members has been deferred pending the Supreme Court’s decision in the case concerning their representation. The new board’s future could depend on the High Court’s response to Hamsa’s petition.
The reconstitution has thus opened a fresh legal and political front for the government, even as it seeks to restore the board’s ability to take policy decisions and administer Waqf properties.