Munambam land protest ends; Minister says no legal obstacle for land mutation
Law Minister P Rajeev said developments favourable to residents have occurred through the state’s intervention, assuring that no family will face eviction.
Law Minister P Rajeev said developments favourable to residents have occurred through the state’s intervention, assuring that no family will face eviction.
Law Minister P Rajeev said developments favourable to residents have occurred through the state’s intervention, assuring that no family will face eviction.
The long-running land agitation in Munambam, Ernakulam, over property rights contested by the Waqf Board, has been suspended following government assurances and a Kerala High Court directive permitting residents to pay land tax until the case is settled.
The 414-day relay hunger strike, organised by the Munambam Land Protection Council at Velankanni Matha Church, concluded on Sunday in the presence of Revenue Minister K Rajan and Law Minister P Rajeev. The council represents around 600 families affected by the dispute.
K Rajan said there is no legal obstacle to land mutation (pokkuvaravu) for residents. “The court has issued no order preventing mutation, and we believe the process can now proceed smoothly. The government has stood with Munambam residents from the beginning,” he said. He also urged that the issue should not be politicised, noting that 4.12 lakh people have been provided land over the last 9.5 years. MLAs K N Unnikrishnan and Job Maichil also attended the event.
Law Minister P Rajeev said developments favourable to residents have materialised through the state’s intervention, assuring that no family will face eviction. “The government will extend all legal support to protect the residents. The Chief Minister has already promised this to the protest committee,” he said.
Rajeev added that the Cabinet has approved the report of the Justice C N Ramachandran Nair Commission, which examined the dispute, and that procedural changes have already enabled payment of land tax and clarified steps for mutation.
Council convenor Joseph Benny said 610 families had been denied revenue rights in the past four years and that the Waqf Amendment Bill brought national attention to their struggle. He said the government has agreed to set up a help desk to complete mutation procedures.
Meanwhile, a separate faction launched a fresh protest outside the church, arguing that allowing tax collection alone does not restore full ownership rights. They demanded removal of the land from the Waqf registry and completion of mutation to enable property transactions and access to bank loans.