JEDDAH, 1 March 2004 — Although most of the 70,000 Indian pilgrims who came for Haj through the Central Haj Committee (CHC) have left, the Indian government’s subsidy for pilgrims’ airfare remains a hot topic among expatriates here.
Some see the issue from a welfare point of view, others from a religious angle, and others advocate taking both aspects into consideration.
“It is necessary. Not everyone afford to perform Haj. Cheap journeys by sea are not available any more. The subsidy should continue for financially deserving pilgrims,” said Sultan Mazharuddin, a media manager. “Those who can afford the fare should voluntarily forgo it,” he added.
“Haj is obligatory for those who can afford it,” said Khaleda Abdul Waheed. “As I understand it, under Islamic law we are not allowed to take even a single halala of help to discharge an obligation.”
Despite this, she said, all Haj pilgrims going through CHC accepted this indirect help, in most cases unknowingly, and sufficient discussion could create awareness of the issue. “Many may even refuse the subsidy,” she added.
Khaleda felt that the cheaper Haj journey encouraged people to perform Haj repeatedly, whereas Haj is obligatory just once in a lifetime. “Unfortunately, repeat performances are becoming a status symbol,” she said.
Khaja Quadeer Anwar, founder director of IDEAS (Indian Doctors, Engineers, Architects and Accountants Society), suggested that there should be criteria for eligibility. “For example, if they are paying a certain amount of income tax, they should not get the subsidy,” he said.
Some Muslim leaders feel that relevant organizations should get together and explore ways of making Haj operations cheaper, for instance by turning the CHC into a corporation.
“Any operation that involves international transportation of more than 100,000 people annually could make a sound business proposition,” said Shahid Siddiqui of Samajwadi Party.
