In the first phase, 500 persons to get assistance
Chief Minister Jayalalithaa on Tuesday announced the State government's financial assistance to Christians to take pilgrimage to Jerusalem.
“In the first phase, 500 Christians belonging to all denominations would get the assistance,” she said while participating in Christmas celebrations organised by her in Chennai.
Recalling her promise made by her last year in this regard while participating in the celebrations in Arumanai in Kanyakumari district, Ms Jayalalithaa said she would also consider other demands of the community.
While seeking support for her government in its effort to spearhead a revolution in agriculture and industry and make the State self-sufficient in electricity production, she made an appeal for upholding the principles of love and sacrifice, giving up vendetta and selfishness.
Ms. Jayalalithaa said she really enjoyed the Christmas celebration, especially carol singing by students of Sacred Heart Matriculation School, Church Park, her alma mater.
“It reminded me the days when I was a student. On many occasions, I also, like the girls, had stood on a platform and had sung carols,” she added.
Ms. Jayalalithaa cut the Christmas cake and Archbishop of Madras-Mylapore diocese A.M. Chinnappa fed her with the first piece. Both the Chief Minister and the Bishop re-enacted the scene on a request from the photographers.
“Thanks to photographers I got the opportunity to be fed by the Bishop twice,” she said.
The Archbishop also expressed support for good governance and good schemes of Ms. Jayalalithaa.
Church of South India (CSI) Diocese of Madras Bishop V. Devasahayam said the spirit of Christmas was reflected in all the efforts taken by the Chief Minister in the interest of the State.
This is absolutely ridiculous. No other damocratic country wastes tax payers money like this. If a country or state is well developed with good infrastructure and other facilities, and its citizens have enough food and amenities to live without worries, they will always spare and find money to finance a piligrimage. Spritual interest in humans wakes up after the stomuch is fed. If you are hungry, do not have a place to live then you are poor and you do not have either interest or financial ability partially to finance the piligrimage with the help of subsidy. How can then subsidy help poor christians in the state. Poor christians do not get so much help of the money beeing channelled into India by foreign organisations. Govt. grabs money from the hindu temples & hindus, and gives it to the richer class of the minorities in the form of subsidies. Could not Govt. use tax payers money to help poors irrespective of religion. How far is the vote bank politics >going to dominate in this age?
It is a shame the way our money is being squandered by these politicians and our despots and corrupt leaders. You elect them to provide a good governance, better education for all, good law and order, better health care, good transport and communication, clean and safe environment for all member of the society, clean drinking water, equality in opportunities, productive employment and healthy growth, a just and fair environment for all the citizen to grow and make India a strong nation etc., but what do we get, neither of these; but dirtiest roads and environment, poorest health care, worst transport and communication systems, highly contaminated water, adulterated foods, education system which is systematically shifted for rich and powerful, leaders who keep on dividing the citizens, equality which is damaged beyond repair by our politics of reservation, a democracy where our new ruling class is more enduring and powerful than ancient kings. INDIANS DO NOT KNOW, HOW TO RULE THEMSELVES.
I think this is absolutely ridiculous. The tax payers money should not be utilised for ANY religious purpose.Religious needs are sacred and personal. There are religious institutions that can sponsor such issues and needs. God knows that there are a lot of other ways such money may be utilised for the suffering humanity.
I welcome the move of Respected Ms.Jayalalita of the proposed funding for christian who want to visit to Jerusalem.I wonder how the scheme is going to be implemented.what are the Criteria for the selection of candidates. The selection should be done by Governmental agencies and not by the Bishops and Christian leaders because it will lead to intimidation,coercion and arm twisting tactics of the so called spiritual fraternity .
Will there be a similar facility for Hindus, who want to go on pligrimmage to Badrinath, Kedarnath and or Amarnath? Whose money will jayalalita give for these junket? Will Italy offer similar facility to Hindus living in Italy? Is there any other country in the world which has such schem? Are thereonly 500 christins in Tamilnadu? What happens to the rest of christians, who want to visit Jeruslem?
The CM has so far announced financial aids for Muslims to undertake Haj pilgrimage tours and to Christians now to go to Jerusalem. What about for Hindus to undertake pilgrimage to Kailash and Mansarovar in Tibet [China] ? This is a longfelt demand. Other States like Karnataka are already extending the family. There should be no discrimination between religions since ours is secular.
gosh...another bait to increase votes for party . more burden on state govt by providing financial assistance of this kind. ealier it was hajj subsidy where billions of rupee were being spent for no reason. even sharia doesnt permit to get such aid. but govt just wanted votes . thank god finally hajj subsidy is slowly being phased out. ms jayalalitha should learn from mistakes of others . at times of assembly elections parties are giving free T.V and laptops as token of thanks. if jayaji is sincerly willing to celebrate christmas in a better way she should have adopted another means of assistance. govt is not responsible for if one can not go to pilgrimage but yes it is responsible if one is dying for not having basic needs.
If I may ask, under what scheme is the honorable TN govt implementing this?
The churches get tons of money from abroad in any case. Why cant they provide the required travel subsidy?
The same government which cannot even give a single rupee to people going to Sabarimala or Amarnath yatra (all within India), or cannot provide even basic amenities for Hindu pilgrims within India is promising travel aid for people to visit Jerusalem and Mecca.
Contrast this report with what is happening in Russia. They want to ban Bhagavad Gita because it is "extremist". Wonder where the secular section of the Indian intelligentsia are all of a sudden?
It is high time someone challenged these sort of subsidies in a court of law.
Why do you mix religion and state. Taxpayer money can be spent on education and food for the needy of all religions. Not foreign trips.
I don't how to interpret it other than Plain simple vote bank politics. My opinion is that even the Haj aid should be cut. If you are giving aid to two minority groups, how about Hindu's getting aid for visiting Kasi / Varanasi ?
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