BeyondHeadlines Correspondent
New Delhi: “In India, there are almost 4,60,000 odd Waqf properties which are indifferently managed. Some estimates on record say that this figure is around 7,00,000 acres. If we talk about an off-record waqf property, then this is even higher.” said Akramul Jabbar Khan, a retired IRS and the advisor of Maharashtra Waqf Liberation And Protection Task Force.
He was a special invitee in a meeting of Jamia Alumni Bihar Chapter in Jamia Millia Islamia, New Delhi.
He said, “After railway and defence, the largest property vests with Waqf. Had we utilised it properly, not just the Muslims’ but the country’s condition would have been improved enormously. In a country where almost 50 per cent population lives in poverty needing scarce finance for education, medical, legal and other incidental, unavoidable expenses wastage of limited resource is a cardinal sin.”
“The wastage of this huge asset, i.e. the Waqf or Auqaaf (plural) is because of sheer mismanagement, thievery and ignorance about the issue among the public at large, more so, the real stakeholder, the poor and the downtrodden”, added Khan.
He informed all the participants about the waqf properties and how it can be used for the community. He educated everyone about the legalities of Auqaaf. He threw light on who are encroaching upon the waqf and how can we get them back. The functions of
Saleem Ullah, the founder president at ‘Maharashtra Waqf Liberation And Protection Task Force’ was also present in this meeting.
He talked about this Pune based organisation and how it has been working for the cause of waqf. He informed that this organisation is set to start India’s first National Skills and Vocational University for Muslims on 100 acres of land in Aurangabad with a financial budget of Rs 100 crore by the Maharashtra State Government.
“The University will now be built in Aurangabad and the state’s finance ministry has sent
Moid Tungekar who came from Pune had also joined the meeting and presented his thoughts on waqf. With that, he also informed about his work and about proton therapy which is used to treat cancer. He said that he is putting all his efforts to build and open up the first hospital in India where
A Jamia alumnus, Pervez Alam who is a young and dynamic IRS officer also shared his thoughts on waqf. He said that it is important that our youth are well informed and aware of waqf and protect these waqf properties completely. He said that wherever there is this property, a board should be displayed that it belongs to the waqf.
This meeting was organised by recently formed ‘Alumni Association Jamia Millia Islamia Alumni Association (AAJMI) Bihar Chapter’. Many research scholars, journalists and professors participated in this meeting.
AAJMI, Bihar Chapter is a non-political body of the ex-students of Jamia working presently in Bihar or from Bihar. It is registered under societies registration act 1860 under Bihar Registration department, Govt. of Bihar on 29th November 2018.
