A fresh land ownership controversy has erupted in Vellore, Tamil Nadu after the state Waqf Board claimed an entire village in Anaikattu Taluk’s Kottukollai area as Waqf property. Around 150 families have been served eviction notices, sparking panic and widespread outrage among the residents, many of whom claim to have lived on the land for over four generations.
According to media reports, the Waqf Board has asserted that Survey Number 330/1 in Kottukollai belongs to the Syed Ali Sultan Shah Dargah, and the land is therefore categorized as Waqf property. The notice, issued in February, has asked villagers to either vacate the land or enter into a rental agreement with the Dargah. Non-compliance, it warns, would result in the land being treated as encroached property under Waqf laws.
On April 15, in a bid to protect their homes and farmlands, the distressed villagers marched to the Vellore District Collector’s office and submitted a memorandum demanding urgent administrative intervention. They were accompanied by members of the Hindu Munnani, a Hindu organization that has taken up the villagers’ cause.
“This land is our only source of livelihood, and now we are being told to vacate it or pay rent to the Dargah. This has created fear and confusion,” said a local farmer.
Mahesh, a Hindu Munnani leader who led the delegation to the collectorate, called for the immediate issuance of patta (ownership certificates) to the affected families.
“These families possess valid government-issued documents. This sudden declaration of Waqf ownership is unjust and unacceptable,” he stated.
This incident closely follows a similar dispute from 2022, when the Waqf Board laid claim to 480 acres in Tiruchendurai, including a centuries-old Chola-era temple. That matter was eventually resolved after government intervention restored the villagers’ rights. The latest controversy also comes just days after the Waqf (Amendment) Act, 2025, came into effect on April 5. While the Waqf Amendment Act aims to enhance transparency and coordination in the management of Waqf properties, critics argue that it lacks safeguards against overreach and does not sufficiently protect the rights of non-Waqf stakeholders.
