The Kerala Waqf Board has been reconstituted with nine members, with M C Mayin Haji appointed chairman through a government order and Kerala Gazette notification dated October 16. The reshuffle has been presented as a move to meet legal requirements and improve the administration of waqf properties, but it has also drawn criticism over the absence of representatives from the two Samastha factions.
The new board includes Kurukkoli Moideen as the representative of legislators, along with Siraz D Kapasi, representing the Bora community, Thodiyoor Mohammed Kunju Maulavi, Sajna Firoz, Jaseem Sabah C, M P Musthafal Faizi and Abdul Majeed Swalahi as members. A Madina Beegum, joint secretary in the revenue department, has been included as an ex-officio member.
Sajna Firoz is a block panchayat member and Jaseem Sabah is a grama panchayat member. Sabah is also a functionary of the Welfare Party of India, which is linked to Jamaat-e-Islami, according to the report. The composition therefore brings together representatives linked to local government, legislators, communities and the state administration.
An official statement said the reconstitution was intended to bring the board’s composition “in line with legal requirements” and improve the efficiency of its functioning. The government has said the board will focus on protecting waqf properties, ensuring their lawful administration, safeguarding the rights of eligible beneficiaries and promoting transparency in its operations.
The board’s role is significant because waqf properties are held for religious, charitable or community purposes and require formal administration under the applicable legal framework. Decisions on registration, management and protection of these properties can affect institutions and beneficiaries across the state. The inclusion of a senior revenue department official as an ex-officio member also gives the state administration a direct presence in the board’s functioning.
The reconstitution has triggered opposition from the Kanthapuram faction of Samastha. Rahmatullah Sakhafi Elamaram, state general secretary of the Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, said the two Samastha factions together run more than 20,000 madrasas, around 1,000 higher religious education institutions and thousands of mahals. He also claimed that the two organisations control a majority of waqf properties in Kerala.
Elamaram described the absence of representatives from either Samastha faction as unjust and unfair. His statement establishes the central dispute over the board’s composition, while the government’s stated position focuses on legal compliance, administrative efficiency, property protection and transparency.
The new board will now be responsible for carrying forward those administrative priorities while operating amid the representation concerns raised by Samastha. The government order and Gazette notification dated October 16 provide the formal basis for the reconstituted board.
