Villagers show documents proving ownership to counter Waqf Board's claims that land belongs to them

Chennai, September 15: To counter the Waqf Board after it claimed the ownership of Tamil Nadu's seven villages dominated by the Hindu population, the villagers now showed papers proving that the land has belonged to them for generations.

 

 

This week, it came to light that Thiruchenthurai a village situated on the south bank of the Cauvery river in Tamil Nadu has been designated as a waqf property by the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board. It should be noted that the Waqf also laid claim to a 1500-year-old temple.

 

Following the development, posters have been put up by the Waqf Board across the villages claiming that the land belongs to them. According to the notice sent to the Sub Registrar's office, a NOC will be needed from the Waqf Board before buying or selling land in these villages.

 

"This is Waqf property which was encroached on to some extent. In order to stop the encroachment, our Waqf board has officially made a resolution to communicate to Sub Registrar's office," said Abdul Rahman, Waqf Board Chairman. he further said that the details of the same are available in the archives.

 

 

 

This shocking issue comes to light after one villager named N Rajagopal tried to sell his agricultural land in Thiruchendurai village in Tiruchirapalli district. When Rajagopal, a resident of the nearby village Mullikarupur village arrived at the Registrar’s office to get the sale of his land registered, he lerned that the 1.2-acre land he owns belongs to the Tamil Nadu Waqf Board.

 

 

If he wanted to sell it, he would have to take a No Objection Certificate (NOC) from the Board.

 

"These people have been tilling this land for generations. How can the Waqf board be the owner of this land, Post independence the land legally becomes a government of India land," said Rahul Easwar on Waqf's claim on 7 villages in Tamil Nadu.