In a politically significant move, the Union government abolished subsidy for Haj pilgrims on Tuesday. Muslim clerics welcomed the move saying `good riddance’.
The clerics maintained that Haj subsidy was a myth and an unnecessary burden on the community without any actual benefit to pilgrims. The decision to abolish subsidy comes soon after lok Sabha passed a Bill to criminalise triple talaq and the government allowed Muslim women, above 45 years of age, to go on Haj without a male guardian, in a group of four.
In 2017, the Ministry of Minority Affairs had constituted a committee to review the existing Haj policy and suggest a framework for a new Haj policy for 2018-22.
A constitutional bench of Supreme Court had during Congress led UPA regime in 2012, directed that Haj subsidy be done away with in gradual manner in the next 10 years.
Former Additional Advocate General (UP) and Convener of Babri Masjid Action Committee, Zafaryaab Jilani said that it was an outstanding demand of the community to abolish subsidy along with allowing pilgrims to choose the airlines for Saudi Arab for performing the pilgrimage. He however said that the Supreme Court had directed to abolish the subsidy in the next 10 years and the government seemed to have done it before that. Welcoming the abolition of subsidy, Nadeem Ahmed Sahar Kazi of Saharanpur said, “It was an unnecessary burden on Muslims and the actual beneficiary was national carrier ‘Air India’ and Haj committee made it mandatory for pilgrims to fly only by the national airlines. Moreover, the subsidy was unIslamic as Haj is among the five pillars of Islam and those who are financially competent and can afford pilgrimage through `halal’ income are required to performe the pilgrimage.”
Member of Haj Committee of India, Syed Mohammed Arshad said, “Though the Supreme Court had directed to phase out the subsidy in a phased manner, the government did it earlier. We welcome the move as the subsidy only brought a bad name to the community.” Ahmed, Shahar Mufti of Muzaffarnagar and former member of UP Minority Commission Maulana Zulfikar said, ``I am happy that our longstanding demand for abolition of Haj subsidy has been accepted by the government as it was a `myth’.”
Maulana said that it should be stressed that the monetary help doled out by the government went to the coffers of Air India and not to the pockets of pilgrims, as the popular impression was.
He said that the previous NDA government of Atal Bihari Vajpayee had limited the provision of subsidy to poor pilgrims only. “But, once Congress returned to power in 2004, the new government lifted the restriction and subsidy as earlier, was made equally available to all pilgrims,” he said. The Haj subsidy was first introduced by former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi to encourage Haj pilgrims to travel by air, abandoning the popular practice of voyage as it was felt that air travel was safer and faster. In 1995, the option of ship journey was dropped altogether and all pilgrims began to take flight to the holy shrine. In those days, there was a difference of Rs 10-12,000 between the prices of the ticket of a ship and a plane. Hence, a provision of the same amount of compensation for pilgrims was made in order to encourage them.