Introduction
When Ayesha Khan’s grandfather built a free medical clinic in Delhi’s bustling Okhla neighborhood in 1972, he donated the land under Islamic waqf laws, trusting it would serve the community for generations. Last week, that same clinic received an eviction notice stamped by a state-appointed board. “This place healed my neighbors for 50 years. Now, they call us trespassers,” she says, her voice trembling.
Ayesha’s story is one of thousands emerging after India’s Parliament passed a controversial amendment to the Waqf Act, a law governing Muslim charitable properties. The move has split the nation: supporters claim it cracks down on corruption, while critics see it as the latest blow to India’s secular identity. As protests erupt and families brace for displacement, the law’s real-world consequences are already unfolding—one eviction notice at a time.
The Waqf Act Overhaul: “Accountability” or a Power Grab?
The original Waqf Act, passed in 1954, allowed Muslims to designate properties as waqf—inalienable religious or charitable assets. Think mosques, schools, or soup kitchens. Today, these holdings are colossal, spanning over 800,000 properties nationwide, per a 2023 government report cited by The Indian Express.
The new amendment hands state-controlled Waqf Boards unprecedented authority to investigate, reclaim, and even sell properties deemed “illegally occupied.” Proponents, including Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s BJP party, insist this will clean up a system riddled with fraud. “For too long, shadowy figures have exploited waqf lands. We’re bringing sunlight,” argued BJP spokesperson Sambit Patra during a heated TV debate (Times Now).
But critics fire back: the law’s vague wording lets officials label almost any property “unauthorized.” Take the 200-year-old Ghaziuddin Mosque in Hyderabad. Its caretakers were stunned when the board claimed the adjacent courtyard—used for Ramadan prayers—was “illegally annexed.” “By whose definition? Our ancestors worshipped here,” argues local imam Abdul Qadir (The Siasat Daily).
“This Feels Personal”: Families on the Frontlines
In Mumbai’s cramped Mohammed Ali Road, a labyrinth of street vendors and crumbling apartments, the Hussain family has lived in a waqf-registered housing complex since Partition. Last month, they received a notice accusing them of “unauthorized modifications” after repairing a leaky roof. “We’re not rich. We fixed our home to survive the monsoons. Now they want to bulldoze it?” says Farhan Hussain, 34 (The Wire).
Meanwhile, in Kolkata, the iconic Nakhoda Mosque—a 1926 landmark—faces partial demolition after the Waqf Board claimed its library encroached on public land. “This isn’t just about bricks. It’s about erasing our history,” says student activist Priya Roy, who organized a 5,000-strong human chain around the site (The Telegraph).
The government denies targeting Muslims. “This law applies to all encroachers, Hindu or Muslim,” Law Minister Arjun Ram Meghwal told India Today. Yet, data analyzed by Reuters shows 87% of recent Waqf Board cases involve Muslim-held properties.
Political Firestorm: A Secular Crisis or “Fake Outrage”?
The BJP’s rivals accuse the party of exploiting legal reforms to marginalize minorities. “First, they came for Article 370 [in Kashmir]. Then, the Citizenship Act. Now, waqf properties. Muslims are being boxed into corners,” says Congress leader Shashi Tharoor (NDTV).
The BJP counters that opposition parties are “weaponizing minority fears.” “Why oppose transparency unless you’re guilty?” retorted BJP MP Ravi Shankar Prasad during a parliamentary session (Lok Sabha TV).
But legal experts warn the law’s timing is suspect. It arrives as the BJP aggressively pushes a Uniform Civil Code (UCC), which would replace religion-based personal laws with a common legal framework. “The UCC and Waqf changes are twin assaults on Muslim identity,” says Asaduddin Owaisi, a firebrand MP from Hyderabad (The Print).
Global Eyes on India: Democracy or Majoritarianism?
The amendment has drawn sharp international rebukes. Turkey’s Foreign Ministry called it “discriminatory,” while Malaysia’s former PM Mahathir Mohamad tweeted, “India’s Muslims are losing their voice” (Straits Times). The U.S. Commission on International Religious Freedom (USCIRF) labeled the law “dangerous” in its 2023 report, though the Biden administration has stayed muted to avoid diplomatic friction (Politico).
At home, the backlash is visceral. In Chennai, hundreds of women staged a sit-in outside the Waqf Board office, chanting, “Our mosques, our rights!” In Jaipur, a coalition of Hindu and Muslim activists launched #HandsOffWaqf, a social media campaign trending with over 200,000 posts. “This isn’t a Muslim issue—it’s an Indian issue. If today it’s them, tomorrow it could be any of us,” says Hindu supporter Rahul Meena (The Quint).
What’s Next? Legal Fights and Election Battles
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) is preparing a Supreme Court challenge, arguing the law violates constitutional protections for minorities. “We’ll fight this in the streets and the courts,” vows AIMPLB member Zafaryab Jilani (The Hindu).
But with the BJP controlling 17 state governments, enforcement could be swift. In Uttar Pradesh—India’s most populous state—officials have already identified 1,200 “encroached” waqf properties for “reclamation,” per Hindustan Times.
The law’s fate may hinge on India’s 2024 general elections. Opposition parties are rallying minority voters, while the BJP is doubling down. “This will backfire,” predicts political analyst Arati Jerath. “But for Modi, polarizing voters might be the goal” (The Week).
Conclusion: “We Will Not Disappear”
Late at night in Okhla, Ayesha Khan’s clinic remains open, defying the eviction notice. Volunteers pass out medicines under flickering LED lights. “They want us to vanish,” she says. “But this clinic is my grandfather’s legacy. We’ll stay until they drag us out.”
Her defiance echoes across India. From Hyderabad’s mosques to Mumbai’s slums, communities are digging in, testing whether the world’s largest democracy can still hold space for its minorities. The answer will shape not just properties, but India’s soul.
Related Video
Sources:
The Indian Express, Times Now, The Siasat Daily, The Wire, The Telegraph, India Today, NDTV, Lok Sabha TV, The Print, Straits Times, Politico, The Quint, The Hindu, Hindustan Times, The Week.
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