Over 400-Day Munambam Protest Likely to Conclude After Kerala High Court Approves Land Tax Payment

A year-long agitation by residents of Munambam in Ernakulam district over disputed land claimed by the Kerala State Waqf Board is poised to conclude following a significant Kerala High Court ruling. The protest, which has continued for more than 400 days since October 13, 2024, was triggered when the local panchayat halted acceptance of land tax after the Waqf Board asserted ownership of approximately 404 acres, arguing the land was donated as waqf property to Farooq College in Kozhikode by an individual named Siddique Sait. Around 600 predominantly Christian families, who purchased the plots in small parcels from the college over the past three decades, have been fighting for legal recognition of their ownership and revenue rights.

On Wednesday, the High Court delivered a major relief by permitting residents to pay land tax on the disputed properties and directing revenue authorities to accept the payments. The verdict effectively ends a four-year ordeal that prevented families from obtaining bank loans or government benefits or conducting property transactions due to the clouded title status. Joseph Benny, convenor of the Munambam Action Council, confirmed that the core committee will meet shortly and is inclined to call off the agitation, with plans for a large public meeting involving leaders from all communities and political parties to formally announce the decision.

The dispute had escalated into a national flashpoint, figuring prominently in parliamentary debates and serving as a rallying point for critics of Waqf Board claims over private and public land. The controversy gained further traction during the passage of the contentious Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, which introduced sweeping reforms to the management and composition of Waqf bodies. Opposition parties, particularly the BJP, highlighted the Munambam case as evidence of alleged overreach by Waqf institutions.

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Kerala Law Minister P. Rajeev welcomed the court order, reiterating the state government’s consistent stance that residents would not be evicted. “The government has always said it will protect the people of Munambam legally. The Chief Minister had assured them they would not be displaced,” he stated, leaving the final decision on ending the protest to the residents themselves.

With the High Court ruling restoring the ability to pay land tax—a crucial step toward establishing legal possession—the families now see a clear path to securing their homes and livelihoods. The anticipated withdrawal of the agitation is expected to ease communal tensions in the coastal hamlet and could influence voter sentiment in the upcoming local body elections, where the Waqf issue had emerged as a polarizing factor.

As Munambam’s residents prepare to celebrate the resolution of a struggle that tested their resilience for over a year, the outcome reinforces the judiciary’s role in balancing historical claims with present-day realities of land ownership in one of India’s most sensitive and long-standing property disputes.

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