State president of the Indian Union Muslim League K.M. Kader Mohideen has voiced concern over the exclusion of Muslim MP in the delegation to be led by Sushma Swaraj, Leader of the Opposition in the Lok Sabha, to Sri Lanka.
The MP team is expected to visit the areas where rehabilitation measures for the war displaced Sri Lankan Tamils are being implemented.
Mr. Mohideen who was here to attend the State executive committee meeting of the party on Saturday, told presspersons that to do justice to Tamil Muslims living in Sri Lanka it would be fair only to take on board a Muslim MP in the team.
He put the population of Tamil Muslims in Sri Lanka at 45,000. The MP team should also make it a point to visit the Muslim areas on the island and ascertain their views on the problems faced by them and to help them to find political solutions.
Welcoming the proposal to make it mandatory for all to register the marriages, Mr. Mohideen said that the jamaath was keeping a register on all marriages and this should be treated as the right record for the registration of Muslim marriages.
On the proposal to withdraw the subsidy for Haj pilgrimage, Mr. Mohideen said that it was a misnomer to call it a subsidy. Earlier, pilgrims to Haj used to undertake sea voyage but since it was a time-consuming affair former Prime Minister Indira Gandhi offered subsidy in air fares. It was only a concession in air fares and should, as such, be continued.
