School where Sir M Visvesvaraya studied, health centre, burial grounds taken over by waqf board

BENGALURU: From the government school where Sir M Visvesvaraya studied in his childhood days to hospitals, primary health centres, Hindu burial grounds, farmers’ lands, the Waqf Board has taken over several parcels of land across the state. To add to this, a woman was threatened to vacate her house by a group of youth who claimed that it was waqf land, in Kushalnagar taluk.

A dargah has come up on the school land.

At Kandavara in Chikkaballapur taluk, 19 guntas of land belonging to the Government Model Higher Primary School, has been shown in revenue records as belonging to the Dawood Shah Wali Dargah Sunni Waqf property in 2015-16. The dargah came up on the school ground a few years ago and since then, the villagers and teachers have been waging legal battle to save the land.

Retired government employee Ramaswamy has lodged a complaint with the Lokayukta.

Some alumni, including retired government employee Ramaswamy, a resident of Kandavara who studied in the same school from Class 1 to 7, have even approached the Lokayukta and lodged a complaint. Ramaswamy pointed out that the land was school property till 2015-16 and was changed as waqf property in 2016. He to has been waging a relentless battle to save the school land.

At Torana village in Kamalanagar taluk of Bidar district, 4 acres and 29 guntas of land, which was allotted for a primary health centre after raising money, has been claimed by the waqf board. Prior to 2013, records showed that the land belonged to the Revenue Department, but was later changed.

The villagers pointed out that the waqf board has staked claim on several historical monuments in the district apart from farmers’ lands and religious institutions. They have warned of staging a serious protest against the waqf board if the land records are not rectified immediately.

In Bagalkot and Hassan, the waqf board has claimed land which is earmarked as Hindu burial ground. At Hosur village in Rabkavi taluk, 1 acre and 39 guntas of land which is a Hindu burial ground, was changed as Sunni Waqf Qabrastan on October 13, 2020.

The parcel of land was donated for a Hindu burial site by Sannavva Kolhar of the village and State Bank of India, Jamakhandi branch, had even issued a loan of Rs 3 lakh on the same land in 2013, which is mentioned in the land records.

The waqf board has also taken over 1.19 acres of Hindu burial ground at Gooranahalli in Channarayapatna taluk. Hindu groups and villagers have vented their anger over the authorities and pointed out that the land has been Hindu burial ground for decades. They have also warned of strong protest if the land records are not set right immediately.

Four farmers from Hunasanahalli in Channapatna taluk have also received notices from the waqf board. Janata Dal (Secular) leaders handed over the RTC copies to Opposition leader R Ashoka during the bye-election campaign in the village on Thursday.