SC strikes down Haj subsidy

[Zarvan]

Zeenews Bureau

New Delhi: In a major setback to the Centre, the Supreme Court on Tuesday turned down its policy of giving government subsidy to Muslims going on annual Haj pilgrimage.

"We hold that this policy (giving subsidies to Haj pilgrims) is best done away with," the apex court said, while slamming the Centre for politicising the issue of annual Haj pilgrimage.

The apex court, while directing the Centre to eliminate the policy of Haj subsidies over a period of ten years, maintained that the proposal of giving subsidy on pilgrimages to religious shrines is inappropriate and aimed at wooing minorities.

The apex court further stated that it will examine the functioning of the Haj Committee of India and its selection process for sending pilgrims for Haj.

Coming down heavily on the Central government, the apex court also ordered it to slash the number of its representatives to be sent along with Haj delegations.

The Supreme court ruling comes nearly a fortnight after the Centre informed it about its decision to restrict Haj pilgrimage at government subsidy to Muslims only as a "once-in-a-lifetime" affair as against the existing policy of "once in five years".

In an affidavit filed before the apex court, the government said the new guidelines have been framed to ensure that priority is given to those applicants who have never performed Haj.

"This is a major change introduced for the first time. This will ensure that the Haji will benefit from government subsidy only once in his/her lifetime. It will also ensure that priority is given to those applicants who have never performed Haj," the Centre then said.

The government, however, refrained from disclosing the amount of subsidy being incurred by it for 2012 saying, "The exact figure in respect of the travel subsidy to the pilgrims going through Haj Committee of India for 2012 will be known after the Hajis completed their Haj journey and return to India."



In its submission, the centre maintained that priority will be given to those who are in the 70 plus category and those who had unsuccessfully applied thrice earlier for the subsidy. The Centre's affidavit came in the backdrop of certain searching questions raised by the apex court on February 24.

A Bench of Justices Aftab Alam and Ranjana Prakash Desai had directed the Centre to provide details of subsidy given by it and criteria adopted for allocation of seats to state committees.

The apex court frowned at the practice of sending official delegations to accompany the pilgrims and had asked the Centre to furnish entire details regarding Haj subsidy, as also to the criteria adopted.

The apex court was hearing an appeal filed by the Centre challenging a Bombay High Court judgement which had directed the Ministry of External Affairs to allow certain private operators to operate the services of 800 of the 11,000 pilgrims earmarked under the VIP quota subsidised by the government.

Earlier, the bench had pulled up the Centre's practice of "politicising" the annual Haj pilgrimage by permitting official delegations to accompany the pilgrims, for which the government offers huge subsidy, saying, "It's a bad religious practice."

With PTI Inputs

 

[Supply&Demand]

This policy is nothing but minority appeasement...

Hindus are not given government subsidies when they want to go to Amarnath...Hell the govt cant even construct a building in Kashmir where devotees can stay...good going SC..hope in few years this can be removed completely...

 

[Subramanian]

Great decision.

 

[EjazR]

This policy is nothing but minority appeasement...

Actually this was more of an Air India subsidy which some in India used as proof of minority appeasement. Air India would jack up prices 3-4times and then get paid subsidy on this while other commercial airliners would do the same at much less price.

In any case, Muslims in India have been demanding this be removed for a long time and the ministry of minority affairs in 2010 has already declared that the subsidy will be phased out by 2017 because it was against the teachings of Islam to take financial help from others if you can't afford to go to Haj yourself.

The SC is now saying 10 more years but I hope it gets done as per the UPAII's plan to phase it out by 2017 and use the money instead to build schools and colleges in areas of low literacy .

Haj subsidy - PhaseoutWikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[CorporateAffairs]

Awesome decision

India is a secular country and cant encourage things like these.

Either scrap it or give funds to Amarnath, Rome and Haj.

 

[TopCat]

Rather give me the money.... Thailand looks awesome... ;-)

 

[Awesome]

Technically all subsidies are appeasement. Why does India have food subsidies in one city, not the other? Everything should be slashed.

 

[harpoon]

Technically all subsidies are appeasement. Why does India have food subsidies in one city, not the other? Everything should be slashed.

India have food subsidy throughout the country but only for poor people.

 

[Capt.Popeye]

Is the SC verdict surprising?

The whole Haj subsidy policy was just 'political grand-standing' to dole out preferential treatment to some quarters (more than to the community) and the SC has seen through that.

There was that previous scandal where E.Ahamed the MoS in MEA had dished out lucrative contracts to crony travel agencies to handle Haj pilgrims. Good that the SC has finally junked this sarkari drama. This is no activity for Govt. to be involved in.

Actually this was more of an Air India subsidy which some in India used as proof of minority appeasement. Air India would jack up prices 3-4times and then get paid subsidy on this while other commercial airliners would do the same at much less price.

In any case, Muslims in India have been demanding this be removed for a long time and the ministry of minority affairs in 2010 has already declared that the subsidy will be phased out by 2017 because it was against the teachings of Islam to take financial help from others if you can't afford to go to Haj yourself.

The SC is now saying 10 more years but I hope it gets done as per the UPAII's plan to phase it out by 2017 and use the money instead to build schools and colleges in areas of low literacy .

Haj subsidy - PhaseoutWikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Some of what you say is correct. It had nothing to with the community, but everything to do with dishing out favors to a chosen few people . That is why it was started and continued. Check for example, why E.Ahamed (of the AIU-ML) has got the MoS rank in MEA (dealing with Haj affairs) in successive Govts. Or the rampant patronage peddling that goes in in the various Haj committes. That is what the SC has understood and hence thrown away the whole system

 

[miss]

Rather give me the money.... Thailand looks awesome... ;-)

didnt know haj can be done in thailand

 

[EjazR]

As expected, the judgment has been welcomed by all sections of the Muslim community

Muslims welcome Haj ruling

New Delhi, May 8: Muslim leaders and clerics today welcomed the Supreme Court order for progressive elimination of the Haj subsidy, and demanded the Haj committee be allowed to float international tenders for chartered flights to carry the pilgrims to Saudi Arabia.

They pointed out that Air India’s Haj fares are higher than other airlines’ fares on the same routes, because under Saudi rules, the carrier’s planes have to return empty after dropping the pilgrims and again fly to Saudi empty to bring them back.

But private airlines are expected to offer lower fares during the bidding if a tender is floated, said Zafaryab Jilani, an All India Muslim Personal Law Board member.

Mufti Maulana Abdul Qasim Nomani termed the subsidy un-Islamic, saying Islam does not permit Muslims to take money from anybody for Haj — a point the court itself made.

“The government started giving the subsidy for obvious reasons, as nobody from the community had asked for it,” he said.

Jilani said the law board had been demanding the abolition of the Haj subsidy for several years. He added that Air India’s Haj high fares means the bulk of the subsidy goes to it instead of the pilgrim.

“The subsidy is mainly aimed at bailing out the sick Air India. We have been demanding abolition of the subsidy and the floating of a global tender for chartered flights,” he said.

“Since 1.25 lakh pilgrims go to Mecca to perform Haj through the Haj committee, a global tender will bring competition from several airlines and this would automatically lead to a fall in fare.”

Minority affairs minister Salman Khurshid welcomed the order and said the government had been working in the same direction. “The issue of Haj subsidy has been already under consideration for over the last four years and discussions had taken place for rollback of Haj subsidy.”

He said the government was also working to ensure there was no burden on the pilgrims and the financial arrangements with the airlines were “more viable”.

“I hope it will even out and balance out. This is my impression,” he said.

Around 1.7 lakh Indians will go on Haj this year in September-October. Of them, 1.25 lakh will go through the Haj committee and the rest with the help of private tour operators.

Zafarul Islam Khan, working president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e Mushawarat, said the government had started the practice of giving Haj subsidy in 1973.

“The subsidy stops the pilgrims from flying private airlines, some of which offer more attractive packages, including hotel rooms and transport within Saudi Arabia at the same or lower price.”

He suggested the government also look for an alternative mechanism modelled on the Malaysian concept of Tabung Haji, which allows Hajis to make the pilgrimage by investing their own money in an “Islamic, Shariat-compliant” way.

They put whatever amount they can afford into a kitty and can withdraw it whenever they want to go on Haj.

Lok Sabha MP Asaduddin Owaisi of the Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (MIM) expressed happiness at the apex court order.

“The subsidy money should be invested in the education of minority girls and for their overall development,” he said.

 

[Edevelop]

Good decision by SC...There are lots of people that go for hajj more than once in their life time. Advantage should not be taken over those who have never went....

 

[Awesome]

There are like 10 years given by the SC. A lot may happen in 10 years. There are two parts to the ruling, the center is ordered to shift the money towards Muslim education.

Moreover I hope Muslim politicians working on this should closely monitor that Haj Subsidy had some sort of inflation mechanism to cope with rising demands over the year and the same rate should be applied to the money on education.

What you guys were hailing as end of appeasement still exists... The move was initiated by Muslims themselves, since apparently the main beneficiary was Air India and Haj Organizers.

Now the money will go towards scholarships and it may even go out of India of the Committee chposes to send some people to foreign Unis.

 

[karan.1970]

Technically all subsidies are appeasement. Why does India have food subsidies in one city, not the other? Everything should be slashed.

Subsidies are not a problem.. The basis on which subsidies are given are one though.. IN a secular country, Religion should not be the basis of any subsidies.. Hence the SC stand

 

[Android]

There are like 10 years given by the SC. A lot may happen in 10 years. There are two parts to the ruling, the center is ordered to shift the money towards Muslim education.

Moreover I hope Muslim politicians working on this should closely monitor that Haj Subsidy had some sort of inflation mechanism to cope with rising demands over the year and the same rate should be applied to the money on education.

What you guys were hailing as end of appeasement still exists... The move was initiated by Muslims themselves, since apparently the main beneficiary was Air India and Haj Organizers.

Now the money will go towards scholarships and it may even go out of India of the Committee chposes to send some people to foreign Unis.

atleast it would be beneficial for muslim community if the money is spent on their education, healthcare etc instead of being virtually wasted by giving subsidy on pilgrame