Meenaz Bhanu
The sudden scraping of Haj subsidy has now become yet another topic of discussion throughout the nation. The subsidy for Haj pilgrims was started in 1954 during Indira Gandhi’s government.
Back then the need of declaring subsidies was the requirement of the central government to keep government-owned Air India afloat. Time and again the Muslims have stated that the subsidy helps Air-India and not the Muslims. But the Haj subsidy was always used to embarrass the community by many who felt it was minority appeasement.
The Supreme Court in 2012 directed the Centre to gradually reduce the amount of subsidies being given to Haj pilgrims so that within 10 years it is eliminated, and the money be used for the ‘upliftment of the community in education and other indices of social development.’ Accordingly the government reduced Haj subsidy gradually in the last few years but now suddenly scrapped it mid-way of the 10 year time limit suggested by the Supreme Court. But as per the judgement the difference amount should have been used on the recommended purpose which has not been done in all these years.
The Union Minister Naqwi said “the increase in the hajj quota expansion is a record in two years, as it increased from 1, 36,020 to 175025”… and he also said that this shows the Modi government’s concern towards minorities. If it is so then why did the Centre scrap the Haj subsidy suddenly? Saudi Arabian government has added 5000 more to Indian Haj quota this year. Is scrapping the Haj subsidy because of the increased quota of pilgrims from Saudi government?
Naqwi also said Saudi Arabia has also given green signal for India’s decision to review the option of sending for Haj pilgrims through sea route”. The government sources expressed three purposes regarding scraping Haj subsidy.
Firstly, the sea route will allow more people to undertake the Haj journey incurring less expense. And the second reason given by another source was that one of the ideas is to restrict the pilgrimage to once in a lifetime and the third reason given by them is ‘it is to ensure that all desirous people get a fair chance to undertake the journey’. If this was the purpose then government could have lowered the airfare than starting the sea route again after 23 years because, few hours journey by plane is always preferable, compared to 3 to 4 days journey by sea.
A subsidy is a fiscal aid or at best a compensatory amount to make some fee or price, affordable, for the consumers. If it was a subsidy then the amount should have been given to pilgrims directly and they could have than been left free to choose whichever airlines they want.
Though the Haj tickets are booked in advance and are bulk purchases, yet Air India fares were almost double the normal fare.
In addition, when it was given as subsidy it cannot be called as a loss for the government because government spends more than Rs.4,000 to Rs.5,000 crores on Hindu pilgrimages too. Is this not a loss using the same yardstick? One of the BJP minister said that those festivals are culture of our nation and government has to spend on them. Yes we agree that government has to spend on them, because it is our nation’s culture, by taking care of the travellers during journey, maintenance of the holy places, medical aids and cleanliness etc. But government also pays the travelling amount which is more than Rs.50, 000 for Kailash Mansarovar Yatra. Is not it a violation of right to equality? If Hindus have the right to use government’s amount for the pilgrimage, then why not other religions in this secular nation have that right?
The union minister said scrapping of the subsidy is a part of the empowerment of minorities without appeasement”. There does not exist the question of appeasement when the subsidy was not the subsidy in actual but it was the business monopoly by the government for Air India.
Why is there is no importance for Bills like communal violence Bill 2005, which is the need of the hour and moreover the bill itself will show the concern of government towards minorities. And also why government is not interested in implementing Sachar committee recommendations?
Though the concern for empowerment of minorities was shown but the empowerment did not happen as expected. In three years we have seen there were regular efforts to instigate Muslim sentiments. We have also seen either the silence or the diplomatic statements of the NDA government on such issues including issues such as Muslim community’s personal matters, banning of triple talaq, criminalising triple talaq and now scrapping of Haj subsidy. So when the purpose behind any law or scheme is not clear, when it fails to give the clarifications as expected, it reveals that there is something devious. Instead of focusing just on Muslim-related issues the government should plan for the overall development of the nation. All citizens who are blessed with wisdom can easily analyse the agenda behind such instant surgical strikes.
