Opposition rejects Sufi council’s plea for separate dargah board

Dargahs are distinct from other Waqf properties, says All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council

The All India Sufi Sajjadanashin Council (AISSC), which claims to represent 600 dargahs in India, in a presentation before the Parliament’s Joint Committee on Waqf (Amendment) Bill, 2024, demanded a “separate” and “independent” dargah board, claiming that the current Waqf Boards are not “streamlined” for their needs. 

The council argued that the dargahs were distinct from other Waqf properties, since they had a hereditary Sajjada Nashin as its head – which means a single family had been “continuously and uninterruptedly” looking after the property for several centuries. “These dargahs are centres of communal harmony and their doors are always open to all, irrespective of caste, creed and religion, and are a beacon of hope and brotherhood in our society. These dargahs are instrumental in creating an atmosphere of universal brotherhood and harmony. Non-recognition of such dargahs etc., as a separate class, therefore, has so far impeded their welfare,” the council said. 

The council’s presentation at the Friday’s meeting of the panel set off a barrage of questions from the Opposition members. All dargahs, barring the Ajmer-i-Sharif, are governed by the Waqf Board. The Ajmer dargah comes under the ambit of Durgah Khawaja Saheb Act, 1955.

AIMIM MP Asaduddin Owaisi pointed out that “Sufism” was not a sect of Islam, rather it was an approach to the religion. DMK MP A. Raja asked the council to specify if the dargahs associated with them were Waqf properties or not. Trinamool Congress MP Kalyan Banerjee said the distinguishing factor, as per the council’s own presentation, was the social welfare aspect and therefore, the council should give details of the welfare work done by them in the last one decade.

The Opposition, according to the sources, strongly rejected the council’s suggestion and demanded that the panel not consider it. If the council’s suggestion is accepted, one of the members argued, then a separate law would have to be made for each category of Hindu religious institutions. A member asked, “Is there a need for a separate board for maths? Would it require a separate endowment board for temples?”

While the council supported the Bill, it expressed concern about section 3 in the new law, which allows the District Magistrates to decide whether a property qualifies as Waqf or not, in absence of a deed. 

Published - September 20, 2024 09:30 pm IST