Residents in TN's Dharmapuri to protest Waqf board land claims on I-Day

Chennai, Aug 13 (IANS) A simmering land dispute in Chettikarai Panchayat of Dharmapuri district of Tamil Nadu has prompted residents from four villages to announce a one-day hunger strike on Independence Day, protesting against the Waqf board land claims as per the Waqf (Amendment) Act.

The agitation stems from allegations that the Waqf Board has laid claim to agricultural lands that locals say have been in their families for generations. Several residents from Rajapettai, Kottaimedu, Khan Nagar, and Pallagollai gathered at the Dharmapuri Collectorate, accompanied by Dharmapuri MLA S.P. Venkateshwaran and Pappireddipatti MLA A. Govidasamy on Tuesday.

The group submitted petitions demanding that the Act be rolled back, alleging it has effectively frozen land transactions in their villages.

According to the petitioners, over 51 survey numbers across the four villages have been marked under the Waqf Board’s control, blocking sales and transfers.

Farmers claim they have been denied chitta and adangal revenue documents, making it impossible to register their land or carry out routine agricultural transactions.

A resident of Chettikarai who doesn't want to be named said the move has blindsided families who have legal revenue records dating back more than 125 years.

“Out of nowhere, we are told our lands belong to the Waqf Board. Nearly a hundred farming families are now left without access to their own property,” he said.

He further alleged that revenue officials are insisting on a ‘No Objection Certificate’ from the Waqf Board for any land-related documentation.

“Our livelihoods have been paralysed. This Act has devastated us,” he said.

He vowed that he would join the Independence Day protest. The residents argue that the Waqf Board’s claims are unfounded and have urged the district administration to take a clear stand against the Act.

They fear that if the matter is left unresolved, the affected farmers will face mounting economic distress and possible displacement.

Officials from the district administration, however, declined to comment on the controversy, citing the sensitive nature of the issue.

With political representatives joining the cause and tensions rising in the villages, the planned August 15 hunger strike is expected to draw significant participation, potentially turning the local dispute into a larger political flashpoint.

--IANS

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