JEDDAH: A well-known and credible Indian Muslim community leader has come out against the Indian government’s decision to transfer Haj affairs from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
Talking to Arab News on the phone from New Delhi, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, former president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and editor of The Milli Gazette, said the decision is ill-informed.
“The Ministry of Minority Affairs is a useless entity,” he said. “It is a very, very weak ministry with no means of carrying out the massive logistical exercise of organizing Haj for more than 150,000 Indians who come to Saudi Arabia every year.”
According to Khan, everything related to Haj has to be carried out by the Ministry of External Affairs.
“Take the issuance of passport for Hajis, for instance; this has to be done by the Ministry of External Affairs,” he said. “The selection and renting of buildings in Makkah and Madinah are done by members of the Haj Committee of India in coordination with Indian diplomats in Jeddah.”
He said that should there be any problem of any kind involving an Indian pilgrim in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of External Affairs is asked to intervene.
“I don’t see any reason why this move to transfer Haj affairs from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs was initiated in the first place,” he said. “It is totally wrong and ill-advised.”
Khan said the Minority Affairs Ministry had little influence at home and abroad when compared to the massive clout of the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The Minority Affairs Ministry is so understaffed and so powerless that it cannot even carry out the tasks which have actually been assigned to it,” he said, referring to the perennial failure of the ministry to utilize the small budget earmarked for scholarships to students of minority communities.
“When this ministry has not been able to perform such a simple task, how can it be assigned the complex work of managing Haj affairs,” he wondered, questioning the judgment of those who made the critical decision.
Despite reports that Haj has already been transferred to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs retains to this day a “Haj division” which continues to issue statements, circulars and press releases on Haj issues.
According to Khan, as of Monday (Sept. 19), the External Affairs Ministry retained a competent team of 13 high-level officers dedicated to Haj administration headed by a joint secretary.
“The website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs (minorityaffairs.gov.in) indicates that only one officer, of joint secretary rank, has been entrusted with Haj affairs,” he said. “This same officer is also saddled with umpteen other responsibilities, such as that of waqf, dargah and even vigilance — each of which are enough to sap his energies.”
He said the Haj Committee of India — the dedicated organization to deal with Haj issues in India — is still part of the External Affairs Ministry. “Haj Committee’s website (hajcommittee.gov.in) indicated on Monday that it is still part of the External Affairs Ministry.”
As reported earlier, the decision to transfer Haj affairs was taken by the previous Manmohan Singh government. The present Narendra Modi-led government went along with the decision and effected the change earlier this year.
By all accounts, Haj 2017 will be managed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
In response to a question from a member of Parliament in April this year, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh said: “It has been decided to transfer the work related to management of the Haj pilgrimage, including administration of the Haj Committee Act (1959) and rules made thereunder, from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs.”
Najma Heptulla, who was until recently the minister of minority affairs in the Modi government, confirmed in February this year that Haj would be transferred to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. “I have received a communication in this regard,” she said, adding: “Haj is being transferred to us but not because of mismanagement ... The prime minister has transferred it to us perhaps from the administrative point of view since Haj deals with a minority community.”
The Press Trust of India (PTI), India’s official news agency, also confirmed that “the Minority Affairs Ministry will handle Haj.” It quoted Heptulla as saying that “the External Affairs Ministry’s role will not reduce in any sense.”
Khan rightly pointed out that “if both ministries are going to deal with Haj, more complications and hurdles are likely.”
At a press conference in Jeddah on Thursday, the leader of India’s Haj goodwill delegation, Zafar Sareshwala, was the first to come out strongly against the decision.
“Haj affairs should remain with the Ministry of External Affairs,” he insisted. “The ministry has competent diplomats and capable officers, plus it has the benefit of institutional wisdom acquired over many decades of successfully managing Indian Haj affairs.”
Sareshwala said he was never in favor of a ministry “that was created out of the blue by the previous government to accommodate out-of-work politicians and throw a few crumbs to them.”
Talking to Arab News on the phone from New Delhi, Dr. Zafarul-Islam Khan, former president of the All India Muslim Majlis-e-Mushawarat and editor of The Milli Gazette, said the decision is ill-informed.
“The Ministry of Minority Affairs is a useless entity,” he said. “It is a very, very weak ministry with no means of carrying out the massive logistical exercise of organizing Haj for more than 150,000 Indians who come to Saudi Arabia every year.”
According to Khan, everything related to Haj has to be carried out by the Ministry of External Affairs.
“Take the issuance of passport for Hajis, for instance; this has to be done by the Ministry of External Affairs,” he said. “The selection and renting of buildings in Makkah and Madinah are done by members of the Haj Committee of India in coordination with Indian diplomats in Jeddah.”
He said that should there be any problem of any kind involving an Indian pilgrim in Saudi Arabia, the Ministry of External Affairs is asked to intervene.
“I don’t see any reason why this move to transfer Haj affairs from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs was initiated in the first place,” he said. “It is totally wrong and ill-advised.”
Khan said the Minority Affairs Ministry had little influence at home and abroad when compared to the massive clout of the Ministry of External Affairs.
“The Minority Affairs Ministry is so understaffed and so powerless that it cannot even carry out the tasks which have actually been assigned to it,” he said, referring to the perennial failure of the ministry to utilize the small budget earmarked for scholarships to students of minority communities.
“When this ministry has not been able to perform such a simple task, how can it be assigned the complex work of managing Haj affairs,” he wondered, questioning the judgment of those who made the critical decision.
Despite reports that Haj has already been transferred to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Ministry of External Affairs retains to this day a “Haj division” which continues to issue statements, circulars and press releases on Haj issues.
According to Khan, as of Monday (Sept. 19), the External Affairs Ministry retained a competent team of 13 high-level officers dedicated to Haj administration headed by a joint secretary.
“The website of the Ministry of Minority Affairs (minorityaffairs.gov.in) indicates that only one officer, of joint secretary rank, has been entrusted with Haj affairs,” he said. “This same officer is also saddled with umpteen other responsibilities, such as that of waqf, dargah and even vigilance — each of which are enough to sap his energies.”
He said the Haj Committee of India — the dedicated organization to deal with Haj issues in India — is still part of the External Affairs Ministry. “Haj Committee’s website (hajcommittee.gov.in) indicated on Monday that it is still part of the External Affairs Ministry.”
As reported earlier, the decision to transfer Haj affairs was taken by the previous Manmohan Singh government. The present Narendra Modi-led government went along with the decision and effected the change earlier this year.
By all accounts, Haj 2017 will be managed by the Ministry of Minority Affairs.
In response to a question from a member of Parliament in April this year, Minister of State for External Affairs Gen. V.K. Singh said: “It has been decided to transfer the work related to management of the Haj pilgrimage, including administration of the Haj Committee Act (1959) and rules made thereunder, from the Ministry of External Affairs to the Ministry of Minority Affairs.”
Najma Heptulla, who was until recently the minister of minority affairs in the Modi government, confirmed in February this year that Haj would be transferred to the Ministry of Minority Affairs. “I have received a communication in this regard,” she said, adding: “Haj is being transferred to us but not because of mismanagement ... The prime minister has transferred it to us perhaps from the administrative point of view since Haj deals with a minority community.”
The Press Trust of India (PTI), India’s official news agency, also confirmed that “the Minority Affairs Ministry will handle Haj.” It quoted Heptulla as saying that “the External Affairs Ministry’s role will not reduce in any sense.”
Khan rightly pointed out that “if both ministries are going to deal with Haj, more complications and hurdles are likely.”
At a press conference in Jeddah on Thursday, the leader of India’s Haj goodwill delegation, Zafar Sareshwala, was the first to come out strongly against the decision.
“Haj affairs should remain with the Ministry of External Affairs,” he insisted. “The ministry has competent diplomats and capable officers, plus it has the benefit of institutional wisdom acquired over many decades of successfully managing Indian Haj affairs.”
Sareshwala said he was never in favor of a ministry “that was created out of the blue by the previous government to accommodate out-of-work politicians and throw a few crumbs to them.”
