It was just in June when Narendra Modi’s new cabinet held its first meeting. In this meeting, although many grand promises and claims were made, the focus was on the commitment to build three crore homes in rural and urban areas and provide electricity and LPG gas connections to all households.
As always, the poor masses, whether from anywhere, are inevitably influenced by the government’s lofty promises, and surely this time was no different. In that same cabinet, all of Modi’s party members were present, and once again, he set out to achieve those goals for India that were left unfinished in previous terms.
All key ministries are under BJP’s control, so in that sense, the field is theirs. However, behind these grand claims, the grim face of the BJP government, tainted by prejudice, is beginning to emerge. Amit Shah, Rajnath Singh, S. Jaishankar, Harsh Malhotra, Nirmala Sitharaman, and Ashwini Vaishnaw—all belong to Modi’s inner circle. The fires of discrimination are showing signs of how they will play out in India.
There are already indications. Under BJP rule, Muslims, Christians, Sikhs, and lower-caste Hindus in India have concerns, but the actions being openly taken now are extremely alarming. A rapid plan is underway to seize properties owned by Muslims in India. Great efforts are being made to question the legitimacy of the Waqf Board, which oversees these properties.
News channels repeatedly broadcast stories about fake documents and properties tied to the Waqf Board, suggesting that the Muslim Waqf Board in India is so powerful, arrogant, and unrestrained that they have taken over lands and presented false documents as evidence. In some cases, they do not even have documents to present as proof, and this has been going on through Modi’s consecutive three terms. It’s as if Modi’s government has let Muslims loose in the wilderness like a rampaging elephant, allowing them to grab whatever land they desire, while the government turns a blind eye.
Now, it’s up to the public and social workers to reclaim the government’s land from these oppressors. What is the Waqf Board in India? It is the board that manages the lands Muslims dedicate to God—lands that include cemeteries, mosques, Eidgahs, and madrasas. There are formal laws for their administration. Moreover, the Waqf Board is responsible for sending reports to various related institutions and government bodies as per the provisions of its amended act, dealing with revenue issues, the welfare of poor people, and more.
This is a lengthy discussion, but the properties owned by one of India’s largest minorities, whose list of properties and land is long and valuable, are now being targeted. We have been hearing these stories for many years, but now there is a clear agenda to wrest control of cemeteries, mosques, and Eidgah lands from Muslims and, through both legal and illegal means, bring them under BJP control. It’s true that Modi’s government did not win a massive majority in the recent elections and they seem unable to fulfill their promises. Their pledge to build homes may be hollow, but their bulldozers have certainly been busy demolishing them.
India’s uncontrollably growing population is certainly a chaotic issue, but Modi’s government is also worried about the declining proportion of Hindus in the population. In this situation, alongside their battle against “Love Jihad,” they are now also targeting “Land Jihad.” This new focus on the Waqf Board’s amendments has brought this issue to the forefront. The question arises: why does the need for amendments in Muslim charitable endowments keep coming up repeatedly, whereas there is no such need for amendments in Hindu religious endowments?
Why is there no requirement for documents as proof for Hindu charitable institutions, while such demands are made for Muslim charitable institutions? The answer is simple: seizure. This single word contains a multitude of hidden meanings, which have been shaped through manipulative amendments. Indian Home Minister Amit Shah will soon bring forth this amended bill. How this revised bill will impact the health and safety of Muslim Waqf properties remains to be seen, but the Waqf Boards in India constitute the third largest land bank, which is undoubtedly vast.
They hold 9.4 lakh acres of land, covering 8.7 lakh properties. The first Waqf Act was passed in 1954, but it was later repealed, and a new Waqf Act was enacted in 1995. Further amendments were made in 2013, but in 2024, with 40 new amendments, this act is now raising questions regarding Muslim properties. Muslims are being pushed to the edge, and actions are being taken to deprive them of the roof over their heads. BJP’s discriminatory attitude has made it clear that the anti-Muslim card they had kept hidden has now been revealed. From day one, when Narendra Modi took the ministry’s chair in Gujarat, he had initiated this game. In his later years, he now dreams of fulfilling it, but he forgets that there is a higher power capable of overturning his plans and decisions.