The strongest endorsement for the Bharatiya Janata Party’s Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency and Development (UMEED) Bill, commonly known as the Waqf (Amendment) Bill, came from the Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC), the regional body under the Catholic Bishops' Conference of India (CBCI).
The pastoral office, tasked with promoting the 'good which the Church offers all mankind', made a direct appeal to all MPs from Kerala to support the legislation, even as widespread concerns were raised over its potentially anti-Constitutional provisions and impact on minority rights.
The Church leaders in Kerala threw their weight behind the Bill to help 600 odd families in Munambam in Kerala who are facing threat of eviction because of a claim laid on their land by the Waqf Board in Kerala.
Ahead of the Lok Sabha vote, Deepika, a publication run by the Syro Malabar Church, published an editorial warning MPs: “The future generations will hold you accountable if you fail to vote in favour of the Bill,” the editorial said, signalling possible fallout if they fail to stand by them.
Extending support to the Bill was a tricky choice for Kerala MPs, especially for the five Christian MPs from the state and those representing constituencies with a high Christian population. A senior Congress leader from Kannur told TNM that the MPs had no choice but to accept the decision of the Congress High Command, even as they recognised the injustice faced by residents of Munambam.
The Congress viewed the amendments as an assault on religious freedom, which may adversely impact other minority communities in the future. A major concern was a clause that allowed non-Muslims to be part of the Waqf boards.