While regarding itself as a trust based on the teachings of social reformer Sree Narayana Guru, and thus not being a Hindu religious body, the Sree Narayana Manava Dharmam Trust has filed a petition in the Supreme Court challenging the Constitutional validity of the Waqf (Amendment) Act.
In an interview given to The Indian Express, Dr G Mohan Gopal, the trust’s founder-chairperson and former director of the National Judicial Academy, clarified the rationale behind the trust becoming a party in the apex court, arguing that the Act poses a serious threat to the financial and institutional sustainability of the Muslim community in India.
Dr Gopal stated that the trust, founded in 2023, does not identify itself as a Hindu organisation and instead adheres to the egalitarian principles of Sree Narayana Guru, who rejected religious divisions. He said the trust’s intervention in the Waqf matter is based on concerns about social justice and constitutional values, not communal interest.
Dr Gopal argued that the Waqf (Amendment) Act undermines the traditional Islamic structure of Waqf by replacing it with a state-controlled mechanism and allowing non-Muslim participation in the administration of Waqf properties. He said the amendment violates key principles established under Islamic traditions and disrupts a system historically dedicated to supporting marginalised Muslims.
He pointed out that the new requirements for creating Waqf, such as the need for written deeds, create procedural obstacles that threaten to reduce the number of new Waqf properties. Dr Gopal also expressed concern over the broadened definition of Waqf property, which he believes could empower the government or its agencies to claim control over properties long associated with the Muslim community.
In his view, the changes hand excessive authority to district collectors and reduce the autonomy of Waqf boards, thus shifting control away from the community and endangering the integrity of religious and charitable institutions. Dr Gopal warned that these changes could lead to a slow but steady decline in the ability of Muslim institutions to sustain themselves financially.
He predicted that within two decades, the effects of the amendment would be felt deeply, particularly through the shrinking financial capacity of madrasas and other Muslim organisations. He said that the weakening of these institutions could ultimately undermine the viability of the religion itself, as financial support is essential for religious practice.
Responding to the ownership dispute over Munambam land, cited by the BJP as justification for the amendment, Dr Gopal dismissed it as an isolated incident being used to stoke Islamophobia. He said that land disputes exist in connection with many temples as well, but such conflicts have never been used to question the legitimacy of Hindu religious institutions.
He maintained that while legal remedies exist through Waqf tribunals and the High Courts, the amendment represents a broader and more damaging effort to dismantle a key component of Muslim social infrastructure.