In the name of subsidy, government is benefitting Air India, says Anjuman Islamiya leader
City based voluntary organisation Anjuman Islamiya has hailed Supreme Court judgment to phase out subsidy on Haj pilgrimage in the next ten years.
At a press conference here on Thursday, Anjuman Islamiya general secretary Sheik Ahmed Basha said that the Haj subsidy is something that is best done away with. It does not benefit the pilgrims. In the name of giving subsidy, the Government has been fooling people till now, for, it has been benefiting the Air India.
Airfare
The airfare would not be more than Rs.20,000 on normal days. But, the Air India charges Rs.60,000 to Rs.70,000 per person during Haj pilgrimage. The subsidy was going into its coffers, and beneficial to Muslims. Instead, the subsidy money may be more profitably used for uplift of the community in education and other indices of social development.
The government's claim of Rs.600 crore Haj subsidy could be invested in education for Muslim girls, he said.
Mr. Basha said that the Muslims used to go on Haj pilgrimage on ship before the Government launched subsidy scheme in air ticket. The ship voyage was cancelled. The Muslims used to incur not more than Rs.10,000 to travel in the (Akbar oda) ship. Now, it would not cross Rs.40,000. As the subsidy is being phased out, the Government should re-introduce the ship voyage.
The Government should also talk to Pakistan, Iran, Iraq and Saudi Arabia governments so that the Haj pilgrims could take road route also, he added.
Anjuman Islamiya president Syyed Moiddin, organising secretary Sheik Abdul Rehman, Syyed Kalimulla, Moulana Ibrahim Ali, Chote Khan, Sheik Fayaz and others spoke.
Keywords: Haj subsidy, Haj pilgrimage, social development
If the Haj subsidy is Haram according to Quoran , why it was not stopped just by a Fatwa ,when such steps were effectively adopted in case of Rushdi,Taslima and the Danish cartoon! Again if it is Haram , why is it not stopped forthwith , and ten years time is offered by the Apex Court! When the huge amount of money thus spent on Haj subsidy by the State is collected from the poor tax-payer , the whooping amount does not belong to the Wakf Boards ,then that amount after the subsidy is stopped , is to be spent for the welfare of the people in general and not for the Muslim community alone!
Hats off to the authority for taking such a genuine decision to stop funding for hajj pilgrims as it includes money of interest which is not permissible in Islam. Allah(swt) to ease the human being he says whoever has capability to spend his own pure & clean money then for him its mandatory otherwise not required to perform hajj.
I request to authority should stop such funds at the earliest.
Thanks you
Please Email the Editor