The “Waqf” Controversy and the Silence on “Debutter” Property: A Case of Majoritarianism?
The article critiques the asymmetrical treatment of religious endowments in India, highlighting how Waqf properties—Muslim charitable endowments used for mosques, madrasas, graveyards, and other community purposes—have faced intense scrutiny, legal reforms, and public debates, while Hindu Debutter (or Devottara) properties, which serve similar religious functions and are fraught with similar disputes as Waqf, remain largely untouched. The article discusses the recent Waqf (Amendment) Act of 2025, renamed as the Unified Waqf Management, Empowerment, Efficiency, and Development (UWMEED) Act, which supposedly seeks to modernize and centralize the administration of over 870,000 Waqf properties under state-level Waqf Boards. Although issues like mismanagement, encroachments, and undervaluation plague both Waqf and Debutter assets, legislative attention has been disproportionately focused on Waqf properties. This selective focus raises concerns about majoritarian bias, as it appears to shield Hindu institutions from equivalent scrutiny. The article ultimately argues for equitable and secular governance that holds all religious endowments to the same standards of transparency, accountability, and reform, warning that the current approach may be influenced more by communal politics than by genuine administrative concerns.
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