Takeover Isn't Improvement

Telangana, with its syncretic past and complex present, deserves a more participatory model of reform

- Dr. Afroz Alam Is PROFESSOR & HEAD, DEPARTMENT OF POLITICAL SCIENCE, MAULANA AZAD NATIONAL URDU UNIVERSITY (MANUU), HYDERABAD

IN the landscape of India's legislative reforms, few measures have stirred as profound—and quietly seismic—a reckoning as the Waqf Amendment Bill 2025. While the Bill claims to address inefficiencies and encroachments within the waqf system across the country, its impact is poised to be deeply disruptive in Telangana, a State where the waqf structure is both historically rich and socially embedded. Telangana's Muslims, who make up roughly 13 per cent of the State's population, have long relied on waqf institutions not only for religious worship but also for education, housing, social welfare, and livelihood. The Telangana State Waqf Board controls one of the largest waqf estates in India, with property values estimated to exceed five lakh crore rupees. Yet, a staggering 75 per cent of these lands are encroached upon. This dual reality—vast wealth and deep vulnerability—places Telangana at the heart of the amendment's claims, consequences, and contradictions.

The history of waqf in Telangana stretches back centuries, with institutions such as Jamia Nizamia, Dargah Hazrat Jahangeer Peeran, and the Anees-ul-Ghurba Orphanage standing as enduring symbols of a functioning community trust system. These properties, endowed for perpetual religious or social welfare, were meant to be inalienable and sacrosanct. However, over the decades, encroachments by private builders, political actors, and even government departments have hollowed out the waqf system's actual footprint. A 2023 internal review by the Board revealed that out of 77,538 acres under its control, only 20,110 acres remain intact, while thousands of cases languish in courts, and crucial documents have been lost, sealed, or destroyed. This situation underscores the vulnerability of waqf assets and raises pressing questions about the implications of the 2025 amendment in safeguarding or further jeopardising these historical resources.