Muslim organisations scrambling to meet waqf registration deadline
MALAPPURAM: As the deadline to upload waqf property records to the Centres UMEED (Unified Management for Ensuring Efficient Digitalisation) portal expires on Saturday, Muslim organisations in Kerala are grappling with what many describe as the communitys most alarming administrative crisis in decades. With thousands of mahals unable to secure or compile the century-old land deeds, pattayams, and revenue records required for registration, the fear of losing vast tracts of waqf land has escalated into a statewide panic. The Centres insistence on completing the digital transition within just six months despite chronic documentation gaps across Indias eight lakh waqf properties has triggered widespread allegations of targeted exclusion, bureaucratic insensitivity, and political motive. In Kerala, where there are around 50,000 waqf properties under 13,000 mahals, only 17,000 have been registered so far. The Kerala Waqf Board states that only 8,000 mahals have been able to complete the process. The scramble has exposed deep procedural flaws, limited access to legacy documents stored in various government departments, and growing public distrust over the consequences of missing the deadline. Muslim organisations say the primary bottleneck is documentation. Many waqf properties some dating back generations either lack formal land deeds or have records scattered across taluk offices, survey departments, and revenue archives. Mustafa Mundupara, leader of Samastha Kerala Jem-iyyathul Ulamas youth front Sunni Yuvajana Sangham, warned that the challenge is far beyond what a six-month window can accommodate. Legal documents of many waqf properties throughout the country are not with the mutawallis (waqf property caretakers) of the mahal committees. Maybe they are with state governments. Availing these documents from government agencies is not easy. Six months for registration is a very small period to complete this process, Mustafa said. He added that though the Supreme Court suggested approaching the Waqf Tribunal for interim relief, it does not solve the core problem. If the documents are not uploaded to the UMEED portal, thousands of waqf properties will be lost. There is no doubt that this new system is targeting the Muslim population. It is not for the welfare of our people in any way, Mustafa said. According to him, with nearly 80% of Indias waqf properties lacking proper documentation, the consequences could be disastrous if the Centre refuses to extend the deadline. There is a high chance that land worth crores across India will be lost. The least the central government can do is to extend the time for uploading documents, he added. The crisis has also triggered sharp political reactions. IUML national general secretary P K Kunhalikutty criticised the Centre for pushing the process at what he called breakneck speed. Under the BJP government, the Muslim community is facing severe crisis. Every new law introduced by the BJP triggers anxiety among minorities. Modi governments move to implement SIR and waqf registration at breakneck speed is part of a strategy to exclude minorities, Kunhalikutty said. He also accused the state government of failing to support the process. The Kerala government is also failing to ensure timely and proper registration of waqf properties on the UMEED portal, he added. Meanwhile, the mahal committees across Kerala report persistent technical glitches on the UMEED portal, difficulty uploading scanned documents, and uncertainty over what constitutes valid evidence for older properties. Many mahals also lack the digital literacy and resources required to complete the process independently. Across Keralas 13,000 mahals, many waqf properties are decades old and lack proper documentation. The UMEED portal requires title deeds, tax receipts, and several other records that simply do not exist for many properties. Kerala has nearly 50,000 waqf assets, and the majority do not have complete legal documents, said V C Iqbal, secretary of Taaleemul Islam Training College, a waqf property under the Tha-Aleemul Islam Committee in Nadapuram. Although the central government began the process six months ago, many mahal committees and muttawallis were unaware of the requirement until a few days ago. The Kerala Waqf Board also failed to communicate the urgency on time. Meetings were called only last week. Many muttawallis are elderly and have no formal education, so they struggled to understand the process. And even when they do, obtaining old records from taluk offices is time-consuming. For very old land, securing documentation is an enormous challenge, he added. The only option is the Waqf Tribunal extending the period for registration, many felt. Though organisations like Samastha approached the Supreme Court, seeking more time, the court said the only way is to approach the National Waqf Tribunal with screenshots of the portals technical glitches, so that a three-month grace period can be granted to each specific mahal, said Kerala Waqf Board member Sainudheen. With the deadline now upon them, community leaders are urging both the Centre and the Kerala government to intervene immediately. They pointed out that the issue is not merely administrative: it has the potential to alter the ownership and protection of waqf assets that have historically supported mosques, madrassas, orphanages, hospitals, burial grounds, and social welfare initiatives within the community. Unless the deadline is extended or an alternate mechanism for phased documentation introduced Keralas waqf properties could face one of the most significant property losses in its history. Tight window UMEED portal was officially launched on June 6, 2025, as part of Waqf Act Purpose: Centralised, transparent, and digitally verified system for the management of all waqf properties across India Documents needed Identity and address proof of the muttawalli (Aadhaar, PAN or Voter ID, recent photo) Copies of any waqf deed / declaration / registration document (if available) Land-revenue / survey / patta / khata / khasra / land-record documents of the property Latest map / survey map / site plan, or obtain GPS coordinates / geo-tagging Photos of the property including boundary and landmarks If the property is rented or leased: rental agreement, tenant details, rent receipts If property produces income (offerings, rent, etc.): income/expense records, bank statements, audit/finance documents (if any) Details of any legal or encroachment issues court orders, FIRs, notices, etc
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