Srinagar, April 17 -- The backlash against the amended law hasn't come out of nowhere. It reflects real anxiety and unease among many in the Muslim community. The provision of waqf-by-user, which says that land can be treated as waqf if it's been used for religious or charitable purposes over time - even without official records - is a legal grey area. In a land where property disputes already drag on for decades, where documentation is patchy at best in many places, this clause opens the door to more confusion, conflict, and perhaps even social unrest.

Then there's the matter of appointing non-Muslims to waqf boards. While representation is generally a good thing in public institutions, religious bodies work a bit differently. For many ...