More than 600 families in Munambam, Kochi, are contesting a land claim made by the Kerala State Waqf Board [1].
The dispute highlights escalating tensions over land ownership and religious administration in coastal Kerala. Because the conflict involves a significant number of predominantly Catholic families and a Muslim charitable body, it has evolved into a broader legal and political battle over property rights.
The affected families said the land was taken from them nearly five years ago [2]. The conflict resurfaced in early 2024 after the Waqf Board listed the land on the Umeed portal [3].
Residents of the coastal village said the land was historically theirs before the Kerala State Waqf Board laid claim to it [2]. The families have demanded that the current state government restore their ownership rights and have accused the previous administration of facilitating the takeover [2], [3].
Legal challenges and public protests continue as the families seek a resolution to the ownership row [1]. The situation remains a point of contention in Kochi, where the families said the land was wrongfully seized [2].
“More than 600 families in Munambam, Kochi, are contesting a land claim made by the Kerala State Waqf Board.”
This dispute reflects a complex intersection of land tenure and religious institutional authority in India. The use of digital portals like Umeed to register land claims can trigger immediate local conflict when historical ownership is disputed, turning local property disagreements into high-profile political issues involving state governance and communal identity.
