[Reader-list] Hajees should avoid Haj Subsidy

[Partha Dasgupta]

Hi Pawan,

Am unaware of how much you know about how this whole "Haj Subsidy" business
goes. Had learnt some things about it due to a friend who was interested in
finding out more.

The subsidy is given to pilgrims who have to go by the National carriers
(and the load benefit and profits by the carriers at that time is a noted
fact). In fact, it seems that recently the load was so much (despite the
extra leased carriers and planes taken off other routes) that the Saudi
airlines had to pitch in.

As you mentioned, Haji's are supposed to bear the expenses of the Haj from
their personal purse. However, vote bank politics being what it is, despite
the Allahabad High Court order, all political parties continue to play with
public money from the Haj issue to the grants and exemptions it gives to
religious institutions.

Fact also remains that it was given by the Indian Government without any
requests. An appeasement policy that it plays with different sets of vote
banks with different hand outs. And if someone is freely handing out money
to me, or if I can save some money, can't think of many people I know who'll
refuse - especially if it's the government who's already taking my money and
wasting it!

However, Like I said in my earlier response, it is up to us to demand
transparency from the government on how they're using public money.

While we're on that topic, I admire the Sikh concept of building simple
Gurdwara's usually with attached schools & dispensary's.

Rgds, Partha
.............................................

On 11/6/07, Pawan Durani <pawan.durani at gmail.com> wrote:
>
> http://www.islamicvoice.com/march.2002/readers.htm Hajees should avoid Haj
> Subsidy With reference to Maqbool Ahmed Siraj's answer to the query on Haj
> Subsidy in the November issue of Islamic Voice, I agree that the
> government
> should take off subsidy from its agenda. If a Haji wants to proceed on
> Haj,
> there are certain conditions, that he has to spend the money he has earned
> from legal-halal sources, he should not trouble anybody, borrow money and
> so
> on. But in the case of subsidy, if the government feels the pinch to part
> with the subsidy for Hajees, then this is not right. When Hajees can
> afford
> to go on Haj with their hard-earned money, then what is the point in
> acting
> penny wise-pound foolish by trying to save a few thousands?
>
> I do not understand why our Ulema, leaders and scholars are keeping mum on
> this issue of subsidy. When they make petty things into a big issue, why
> cannot they raise their voice on important matters like this?
>
> *Mohd Fareed Khan
> Raichur*
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-- 
Partha Dasgupta
+919811047132