Discontinuing Haj Subsidy: Naqvi explains what BJP Govt has planned better for the Muslim Community
The Centre has withdrawn the subsidy for Haj pilgrimage, Minority Affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has announced on Tuesday. The Haj subsidy was provided by the Indian government to Indian Muslim pilgrims in the form of discounted flight prices.
What is Haj Susidy ?
In Haj subsidy, the government use to give discounts on Air India flight tickets to Haj pilgrims. Apart from the discounted air fare, the Haj pilgrims were also provided assistance to reach specially designed Haj departure airport terminals and assistance in meals, medical care and lodging was also provided.
The Haj subsidy program had its origins in the British era. In post-colonial era, however, the government expanded the program with the Haj Committee Act of 1959.
The Supreme Court in 2012 had said that the Haj subsidy should be withdrawn gradually by 2022. The top court had ruled that that this subsidy is not only unconstitutional but inconsistent with the teachings of Quran.
In a Central Haj Committee meeting in November 2017, it was decided that Haj subsidy will be completely phased out in 2018 and funds will be utilised on educational programmes, especially for girl children of the minority community. The government announced that Rs. 700 crore Haj subsidy will now be used educational purposes of the children.
The government also said that despite Haj subsidy being withdrawn, a record 1.75 lakh Muslims would go on the pilgrimage this year after Saudi Arabia increased India’s quota by 5,000. Saudi Arabia has agreed to allow people to go on the Haj by ship, which is cheaper than flying, Mr Naqvi added.
Discontinuing Haj Susidy :
Naqvi said that 1.75 lakh Muslims will be going on the pilgrimage this year, which is the highest number of people going on Haj pilgrimage from India. 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.
The decision is in line with a 2012 Supreme Court order, asking the government to do away with the subsidy, a long standing demand of the BJP.
The BJP had cited the subsidy as an example of “Muslim appeasement” by parties such as the Congress.
Following the order, the subsidy was being gradually reduced every year.
“It is part of the Modi government’s efforts to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement,” Naqvi said.
The funds would be utilised for providing education to minorities, he said.
Asked if the subsidy withdrawal will make the cost of the pilgrimage too high for many Muslims, Naqvi said the government was making efforts to bring it down.
The Saudi Arabian government has agreed to allow Indians to go on Haj by the sea route and officials of the two countries will work out the modalities, he said.
Naqvi said his ministry is also organising an event in Lucknow on January 18 in which he and Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath will speak on “empowering minorities without appeasement” with the help of central schemes.
Minority affairs ministers of nine states will also attend the event, he added.
Reacting cautiously to the government’s decision, the Congress said it hopes that the Modi government will honour the apex court’s direction and utilise this money for the education and development of the disempowered among the minorities, including young girls.
The All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB)said the government’s decision on revoking Haj subsidy has no meaning as there was no such concession and Muslims were being cheated in its name.
Welcoming the Centre’s decision, the Vishva Hindu Parishad said the money saved from it should be utilised for the education of poor Hindu girls.
According to sources in the minority affairs ministry, till 2017, the notional savings following gradual abolition of subsidy since 2012 was to tune of Rs 636.56 crore. In case, the government had chosen to reduce the subsidy gradually till 2022, the total national savings would have have been around Rs 5970.6 crore, the sources said.
Haj pilgrims from certain regions will have an additional option to choose from where they want to fly to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage, Naqvi said and claimed that this would bring down the cost by up to 70 per cent on some routes.
There are a total of 21 Haj embarkation points (EPs) in the country — Delhi, Mumbai, Kolkata, Chennai, Bengaluru, Lucknow, Hyderabad, Cochin, Indore, Srinagar, Bhopal, Guwahati, Mangaluru, Aurangabad, Varanasi, Jaipur, Nagpur, Ranchi, Gaya, Ahmedabad and Goa.
Haj aspirants — for whom the 10 airports of Srinagar, Guwahati, Ranchi, Gaya, Indore, Bhopal, Mangaluru, Goa, Aurangabad and Varanasi are the nearest EPs – will now get an additional economical option to fly from.
The pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, whose nearest EP is Srinagar, can opt to travel from Delhi now, helping them save on (per head) airfare. In 2017, the airfare for the pilgrimage from Srinagar was Rs 1,09,692 as against Rs 73,697 from Delhi.
The airfare for Haj 2018 may vary, ministry sources said.
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