Deepika Daily Editorial Warns Kerala MPs Against Opposing Bill
Thiruvananthapuram, April 1:
Amid heightened political debate, a leading Catholic Church-run newspaper in Kerala, Deepika Daily, has described the controversial Waqf (Amendment) Bill as a decisive test of secularism in India's Parliament. In a strongly worded editorial on Tuesday, the paper cautioned Kerala’s Members of Parliament (MPs) that any failure to support the bill would permanently mark them in history as supporters of religious fundamentalism.
The editorial comes at a crucial juncture as the central government prepares to table the Waqf Amendment Bill during the ongoing Budget session of Parliament. Union Minister for Parliamentary Affairs, Kiren Rijiju, confirmed that the government is ready to introduce the bill, accusing certain organisations and opposition parties of spreading misinformation to create tensions within the Muslim community.
Calls for Amending, Not Abolishing, the Waqf Law
Addressing the controversy directly, the editorial emphasised that the bill’s objective is not to abolish the Waqf law entirely but rather to revise specific provisions responsible for land encroachments and the denial of constitutional remedies. It argued that such amendments would serve the cause of justice equally for Hindu, Christian, and Muslim citizens who have suffered due to the current state of the law.
“It is time for political parties to make a final decision on the Waqf law amendment," the editorial stressed. "This amendment does not deny justice to any member of the Muslim community. Instead, it addresses injustices faced by thousands of Hindus, Christians, and Muslims alike.”
Pressure Mounts on Kerala’s CPI(M) and Congress MPs
In a pointed criticism of Kerala's prominent political parties, the Communist Party of India (Marxist) [CPI(M)] and Congress, the newspaper urged MPs from these parties to vote in support of the amendment, highlighting cases of families displaced in Munambam as evidence of the current law’s shortcomings.
"If Congress and CPI(M) still fail to understand this reasoning, there is nothing more to say," the editorial declared, adding sharply: "The religious fundamentalist stance of Kerala MPs will go down in history—history that secular generations will hold them accountable for."
Support from Kerala Catholic Bishops’ Council (KCBC)
The editorial further reinforced its position by citing a recent statement from Cardinal Mar Baselios Cleemis Catholicos, President of the Kerala Catholic Bishops' Council (KCBC). Catholicos called for necessary amendments to provisions in the Waqf law, specifically pointing out the case involving Munambam, where disputes arose over land that residents had lawfully possessed for decades.
"The Farook College itself, which sold land to the people of Munambam, confirmed that the said land was originally received as a donation," Catholicos stated. He urged MPs to cooperate and amend the provisions that allow such disputes, thereby preventing further suffering.
Opposition Labels Bill "Unconstitutional" and Anti-Muslim
Despite the Church daily's support, the Waqf Amendment Bill faces significant opposition, with critics arguing it undermines constitutional principles and targets the Muslim community adversely. Prominent Muslim organisations have rallied strongly against the bill, organising widespread campaigns and alleging that the government is misleading the public.
Union Minister Rijiju, however, countered these allegations by accusing opposition parties and some Muslim organisations of deliberately resorting to misinformation to stir communal tensions. He maintains the government's position that the amendment seeks only to protect legitimate interests and deliver justice.
As Parliament prepares to deliberate on the contentious bill, Kerala MPs find themselves in a challenging political scenario, tasked with balancing regional interests, secular credentials, and community concerns. The outcome, as warned by the Church editorial, will undoubtedly resonate in the political history of Kerala.
