Mass rally in Kwakta protests inclusion of non-Muslim members in Waqf Board
Source: The Sangai Express

Moirang, August 22 2026: Thousands of residents of Kwakta under Moirang Assembly Constituency staged a massive rally on Saturday protesting the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the 8th Waqf Board committee and demanded their immediate removal.

The rally was jointly organised by the Jamait Ulama Bishnupur, Anjuman Ishlah-E Muashra Kwakta, All Meitei Pangal Youth Association, All Kwakta Coordinating Committee and All Kwakta Youth Voluntary Organisation.

Women and children were among those who participated in the rally, with people turning up from areas under Kwakta Municipal Council and Kwakta Gram Panchayat.

The rally began at Kwakta Public Ground and proceeded towards Terakhong before returning to the starting point, where it culminated.""Protesters carried placards bearing messages such as "Remove NonMuslims from Waqf Board", "We Condemn Inclusion of Non-Muslims in Muslim Religious Committee", "Down Down BJP", "Waqf Empower Community", "Justice for Waqf Board" and "Waqf is for Muslims, Not for Non-Muslims" .

They also raised slogans opposing the inclusion of non-Muslim members in the board.

Speaking during the protest, Anjuman Ishlah-E Muashra Kwakta vice-president Moulana Shahidur Qasmi said the inclusion of two non-Muslim members in the 8th Waqf Board committee by the BJP-led Government of Manipur had caused disappointment among members of the Muslim community.

He said the Waqf Board is closely associated with Muslim religious affairs and maintained that its membership and management had traditionally been confined to members of the Muslim community.

Questioning the rationale behind including non-Muslim members in the newly constituted board, Qasmi said the decision was unacceptable to the Muslim community and urged the authorities to remove the two members at the earliest.

The organisers warned that failure to address the demand could lead to more intense forms of agitation in the coming days.

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