Centre withdraws Haj subsidy

Naqvi says it’s part of policy to ‘ empower minorities with dignity’

The government on Tuesday withdrew subsidy for Haj. Announcing the decision, minority affairs minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said the move will help empower Muslims with dignity.

“This is part of our policy to empower minorities with dignity and without appeasement,” Mr Naqvi told reporters.

“We are in support of strengthening the minority. Muslims didn’t benefit from the subsidy. Haj subsidy funds will be used for educational empowerment of girls and women of the minority community,” he added.

The move to withdraw Haj subsidy is in line with a 2012 Supreme Court order asking the government to do away with it by 2022.

The minister said

despite the Haj subsidy being withdrawn, a record 1.75 lakh Muslims will go on the pilgrimage this year.

Saudi Arabia has increased India’s annual quota of pilgrims by 5,000 and it agreed to allow people to go on the Haj by ship, which is cheaper than flying.

Few days ago the government had also allowed Muslim women above 45 years to go on Haj without male company, in a group of at least four. Earlier, women were not allowed to travel without “Mehram” — male relatives they can never marry, like brothers or fathers. According to reports, this year over 1,300 women from India will be going on Haj without a “mehram”.

Questioned whether the withdrawal of the subsidy will make the cost of the pilgrimage too high for many Muslims, the minister said the government was making efforts to bring it down, and officials from India and Saudi Arabia were working out the modalities.

Haj pilgrims from certain regions will have the option to choose from where they want to fly to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage, Mr Naqvi said, adding that this would bring down the cost by up to 70 per cent on some routes. The minority affairs ministry is entrusted with welfare measures for minorities which include Muslims, Sikhs, Christians, Zoroastrians, Buddhists and Jains. Following the apex court’s order, the Haj subsidy was being gradually reduced every year.

In 2012, the subsidy extended was ` 836.56 crore. This amount reduced to ` 680.03 crore in 2013. In 2014, it further reduced to ` 533 crore.

In 2015, the subsidy was ` 529.51 crore and in 2016 it reduced to ` 405 crore. In 2017, the government spent ` 250 crore on subsidising the annual pilgrimage of Muslims to Saudi Arabia.

Reacting to the Modi government’s decision to do away with the Haj subsidy, the Congress’ Ghulam Nabi Azad said, “Government withdrew Haj subsidy four years before date prescribed by Supreme Court, we don’t have any issue. First part of the Supreme Court judgement has been implemented by the Government of India, I’m sure second part of the judgment will also be implemented. Let it be clear that Hajis are not benefited by subsidy, airlines are.”

The Congress, he said, sincerely hoped that the Modi government would honour the Supreme Court’s direction and utilise the money to impart modern education to children, especially young girls from minority community, announce special incentives for higher education, including medical, engineering and other services, and ensure skill development for children of minority community. Congress chief spokesperson Randeep Surjewala also sought to know details of how the government plans to help destitute women ( including those who are widowed, abandoned or divorced) of the minority community and provisions for upliftment and social development of the minority community.