Saffron Govt.withdrawn subsidy for Haj from this year
NEW DELHI : There will be no subsidy for Haj from this year, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said today. Naqvi told reporters that despite the subsidy withdrawal, a record number of 1.75 lakh Muslims will undertake the pilgrimage this year from India.
Thousands of Muslims who go on Haj pilgrimage each year will no longer get subsidised or cheaper air tickets, the government said today. The big move would help empower Muslims with dignity, said union minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi, adding, “We believe in empowerment without appeasement.”
The minister said despite Haj subsidy being withdrawn, a record 1.75 lakh Muslims would go on the pilgrimage this year after Saudi Arabia increased India’s quota by 5,000. “Muslims didn’t benefit from it.
Naqvi also said that the Saudi Arabian government has in principle agreed to allow Haj journey from India by ships and officials of the two countries will sit together to finalise the modalities.
“This is part of our policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement,” Naqvi told reporters and cited a host of measures for the welfare of minorities. “A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court had, during the Congress regime in 2012, directed that the Haj subsidy be done away with. Hence, in the new policy, as per the recommendations of a committee, we have decided to do away with the Haj subsidy gradually,” he had said.
Ending subsidy and allowing older women to travel without male guardians were among the recommendations of a panel tasked by the government to suggest a new Haj policy. The panel’s report was submitted in October.
Haj subsidy, besides cheaper fare on national carrier Air India, also includes help to pilgrims provided by the government to reach specially-designed Haj departure terminals at airports, food and medical care.
The government spent Rs. 420 crore in 2016 and Rs. 225 crore last year on cheaper air tickets. Days ago, the government also allowed Muslim women above 45 to go on Haj without male company, in a group of at least four. Earlier, women were not allowed to travel without “Mehram”- male relatives they can never marry, like brothers or fathers.
Meanwhile , The Congress and IUML in Kerala today came out against the Centre’s decision to stop subsidy for Haj pilgrims from this year. Kerala PCC President M M Hassan said the decision was the latest example of the Centre’s “enmity” towards the minority community and asked it to retract its decision.
Senior Congress leader and former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy termed the decision “most unfortunate”.”The decision to withdraw subsidy was to divide people and to destroy secularism,” he said.
The subsidy for Haj pilgrims was a practice in force in the country since the time of Jawaharalal Nehru, Hassan said, adding, “there is no justification to stop it.” Opposition leader Ramesh Chennithala alleged that the decision was announced with an ulterior motive.
As per a Supreme Court order, there was time till 2022 to stop Haj subsidy, he said and alleged that there was a separate agenda behind the decision.( With Agency Inputs ),
