Center should state intervention in Munambam Waqf ownership issue, says Thattil

Major Archbishop Mar Raphael Thattil addressed the media on November 9 after reaffirming his solidarity with members of more than 600 families threatened with displacement over the Waqf property issue in Munambam. | Photo credit: SPECIAL PACKAGE

The Syro-Malabar Church would support families at risk of displacement over the Waqf property issue in Munambam, Major Archbishop of Ernakulam-Angamaly Archdiocese Mar Raphael Thattil said on Saturday (Nov 9). He also urged the Center and state governments to take proactive steps to find a lasting solution to the problem.

“This is a humanitarian issue and must be addressed in a humane, democratic manner, in accordance with the Constitution,” he said. He recalled that the situation would not change overnight, citing how freedom fighters led by Mahatma Gandhi had been agitating peacefully for years to oust the British. He added that there were no temporary solutions to the issue after visiting people on hunger strike seeking justice in Munambam that same day.

Referring to comments reportedly made by V. Abdurahiman, Minister of Minority Welfare, Sports, Waqf and Haj Pilgrimage, in which he expressed reservations about “anti-government and communal comments” made by church leaders and others targeting the troubled families in Munambam, Archbishop Thattil said he would not change his cassock or the ideals he stood for based on a minister’s comments. He added that the church would be failing in its duty if it did not stand up for the affected families.

Referring to the life of coastal communities, the Archbishop said they shared a deep bond with the sea and should not be displaced. “Democracy must not become a tool to abuse people,” he said, urging the government to take steps to ensure people live in unity regardless of their religious or political beliefs.