Waqf bill: Why Indian Muslims worry about Modi plan for $14bn endowments
Al Jazeera
The government says it wants to battle corruption and mismanagement. But many Muslims fear a more sinister plan targeting land endowments twice the size of Mauritius.
A proposal by India’s ruling Hindu nationalist government to change laws governing Muslim endowments in the country has triggered fear and a backlash among the minority community.
The government of Prime Minister Narendra Modi says it aims to root out corruption in the functioning of what are known as waqf bodies, which oversee these properties, to enhance their efficiency.
The ruling Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) argues that the proposed changes are necessary for reforms but critics say that the move could leave properties donated by Muslims over centuries more vulnerable to disputes and demolitions.
The properties in question include religious institutions, mosques, shops, shrines, graveyards and thousands of acres of land.
So what do we know about waqf properties and who manages them? And why does the government want to change the waqf bodies?
