Academics and activists from the Christian community have strongly opposed the Catholic Bishops Conference of India’s (CBCI) recent support for the Waqf Amendment Bill, warning that such backing risks legitimising state intrusion into the affairs of religious minorities.
In an open letter to the CBCI, they said the Munambam land dispute in Kerala, which the CBCI cited to justify the legislation, is a localised issue that should have been addressed through legal means rather than used to advocate a national amendment with far-reaching implications for the Muslim community.
They further cautioned that the Bill, which increases government control over waqf properties, could set a dangerous precedent, as the same logic may be used in the future to interfere with Christian institutions. The signatories expressed concern that short-term responses to local disputes could compromise the long-term autonomy and security of religious minorities across the country.
The open letter, released on April 8, states that as concerned Catholics committed to justice, fraternity, and inter-faith harmony—values upheld by the Church itself—they believe that constitutional principles of equality, religious freedom, and minority rights must be safeguarded.
They argued that the Munambam case, in which some Christian families are reportedly facing possible displacement due to a waqf land claim, should have been dealt with through legal, negotiated, and conciliatory processes and should not have formed the basis for supporting sweeping amendments to national legislation governing Muslim religious properties.
The signatories maintained that the Waqf Amendment Bill infringes on the autonomy of a religious minority’s institutional affairs, and although the CBCI may have acted in good faith, its support for the Bill might unintentionally legitimise state interference under the guise of reform, thereby weakening protections for all religious minorities.
The CBCI, in a letter dated 25 March, had written to political parties suggesting that certain provisions of the original Waqf Act were inconsistent with the Constitution and with secular democratic principles, and the letter was later cited by Union Parliamentary Affairs Minister and Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju during parliamentary proceedings to indicate interfaith endorsement of the Bill.
The Waqf Amendment Bill, which was passed by Parliament on Friday and received presidential assent the following day, alters 44 sections of the 1995 Act, including those governing the composition of waqf boards, the process of property donation, and the functioning of waqf tribunals, while also enabling the inclusion of non-Muslims on waqf boards and expanding government oversight.
Although the Janata Dal (United) and the Telugu Desam Party, both allies of the BJP, supported the Bill, several opposition parties, including the Congress and the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen, have challenged its constitutionality in the Supreme Court, warning that the changes could erode the autonomy of Muslim institutions and affect the community’s ability to manage its endowments.
Congress leader Rahul Gandhi has also raised alarms about the Bill’s broader implications, citing an article published by Organiser, the official RSS publication, which alleged that the Catholic Church owns more land than the Waqf Board and described it as India’s largest non-governmental landowner, suggesting that Christian institutions could be next in line for scrutiny and state intervention.
Although the article, published online on 3 April, was subsequently taken down, it was quoted as stating that the Catholic Church in India holds around 17.2 crore acres of land valued at Rs 20,000 crore, fuelling concerns among Christians that the precedent set by the Waqf Bill may one day be used to curtail their own institutional freedoms.
Read the letter below, along with the list of signatories
April 8, 2025
To
The Catholic Bishops Conference of India
Dear Bishops,
We write to you as concerned members of the Catholic community in India—laity, religious and clergy—deeply committed to the values of justice, fraternity, and interfaith harmony that the Church upholds. As citizens of a secular and democratic republic, we also hold dear the constitutional values of equality, freedom of religion, and the protection of minority rights.
We read with growing concern the recent press statement issued by the Catholic Bishops’ Conference of India (Ref: CBCI/PR/25-03) urging political parties in Parliament to support the proposed amendments to the Waqf Act. This intervention, in our view, raises several serious issues that merit careful reconsideration.
Since then, the proposed amendments have been passed by both Houses of Parliament and have now received presidential assent, making them law. The new Act introduces significant changes to the governance of Waqf properties, including the inclusion of non-Muslims in Waqf Boards—an issue that has generated widespread apprehension and opposition, particularly from the Muslim community and a range of political parties. One of the central concerns is that the legislation infringes on the autonomy of a religious minority’s institutional affairs.
While we understand that the Catholic community in Kerala is currently facing a distressing situation in Munambam, where 400 to 600 Christian families in a coastal village are under the threat of displacement due to a local Waqf claim over the land, we believe that this is a localized matter that should be addressed through legal, negotiated, and conciliatory means. This case, already under judicial consideration, should not have served as the basis for supporting a national legislative change that now has far-reaching implications for another religious minority community. The CBCI letter risks legitimising state intrusion under the guise of reform.
It is important to recognise that responses shaped primarily by immediate or local anxieties may inadvertently lead to consequences that also affect the Christian community’s long-term interests. A precedent that enables state interference in the affairs of one minority may well open the door to similar intrusions into the rights and governance of other religious communities, including Christians.
At a time when Christian institutions are themselves under increasing scrutiny and pressure from political and state authorities—and when the number of reported incidents of violence and discrimination against Christians has sharply risen, including over 800 documented cases in 2024 alone—we must be particularly vigilant in safeguarding the broader principles of minority rights and religious freedom. As citizens, it is our constitutional duty to uphold the rights of all religious communities and to stand in solidarity with those whose freedoms are under threat.
We hope that the CBCI will engage in deeper reflection and consultation before issuing public statements on matters that have wide-ranging consequences. The strength of our witness as a Church lies in our commitment to justice, peace, and solidarity—not only within our own community but with all those who are vulnerable.
We trust that this concern will be received in the spirit of respectful dialogue and shared responsibility that binds us all in faith.
Sincerely in Christ,
Susan Abraham, Lawyer and Human Rights Activist
Allen Brooks, Ex-Chairperson, Assam State Commission for Minorities
John Dayal, Ex-Member, National Integration Council
Brinelle D’Souza, Academic and Activist
Dorothy Fernandes PBVM, Former National Convener, Forum of Religious for Justice & Peace
Walter Fernandes SJ, Director, North Eastern Social Research Centre, Guwahati
Astrid Lobo Gajiwala, Secretary, Ecclesia of Women in Asia
& Indian Women’s Theological Forum
Frazer Mascarenhas SJ, Former Principal, St. Xavier’s College Mumbai
AC Michael, Ex-Member, Delhi Minorities Commission
Elsa Muttathu PBVM
Prakash Louis SJ, Activist, Patna
Thomas Pallithanam, People’s Action For Rural Awakening & Meluko, AP
Cedric Prakash SJ, Activist, Ahmedabad
Lisa Pires PBVM, Working in Goa on Issues of Trafficking and Migration