By Maqbool Ahmed Siraj

We do not issue fatwas but do express opinion in keeping with context and circumstances. As far as our study goes, it is illegitimate for Muslims to seek subsidy on Haj journey from the Government of India. More so in a secular country like India where the Government is supposed to respect all religions and favour none, such subsidy is totally undesirable and should be withdrawn. It has already attracted criticism from the VHP and other Hindutva bodies. Despite their anti-Muslim rhetoric, let us be fair in accepting this criticism. Let us put the whole question of Haj Airfare Subsidy in the socio-political and purely economic context.

Last year nearly 90,000 Indian pilgrims went for Haj and the government of India paid out nearly Rs. 120 crore (Rs. 1200 million) to the Air India towards subsidizing the airfare. It is reported that the Haj airfare costs Rs. 29,000 but each individual pilgrim pays only Rs. 12000 towards the air journey to the Haj Committee which takes him to Jeddah from anywhere in India, say from Mumbai or Kolkata or Srinagar. Remainder of the money i.e., Rs. 17,000 is borne by the Government of India. The fact is that even a Delhi-Bangalore-Delhi air journey would cost an individual something like Rs. 14,000. Going by the current fares, a Muslim pilgrim is paying for an international trip even lesser than what he would pay for a domestic two-way journey.

There is one more aspect to it. While a person travelling on Delhi-Bangalore-Delhi uses two flights, the journey of pilgrims to Jeddah actually involves four flights. It is because all the chartered flights that take the pilgrims from say Kolkata to Jeddah have to return empty. Similarly, after 40 days the planes have to fly empty to Jeddah to bring back the pilgrim to Kolkata. Looking from this angle, the Rs. 12,000 airfare is highly subsidized and should in no case be done by the government. Even if the Air India allows 33 per cent discount (because the tickets are booked in bulk), the airfare of Rs. 12,000 will be unfairly low and unviable for the these kind of air operations.

But at the same time let us be reminded that Indian Muslims did not demand the airfare subsidy. This was begun after the ship voyages to Jeddah were phased out. But now since the subsidy is in force since 90s, several Muslim organizations demand that it should continue. It is unfair and any such demand should be held illegitimate. Considering the plain terms in which the Holy Qur’an lays down the obligation of Haj, the government subsidy is untenable and should be discontinued. Moreover, the cheaper Haj journey is encouraging people to repeat Haj performances. Haj is obligatory just once in a lifetime. It does not add to one’s piety to do it repeatedly. Nor should repeat performances become a status symbol.

However this should not bar the Muslims from exploring the ways to make the Haj operations cheaper. One way this can be done is by amending the Central Haj Act and forming a Haj Corporation. This could mobilize deposits from aspirants of Haj pilgrimage, do some business, make profits, which could then go into making their Haj cheaper. It could as well go into buying planes which could be leased out to other airlines for eight months and do the Umrah and Haj trips during Ramazan and between Zul Qaidah and Muharram. Any operation that involves an international pilgrimage by 100,000 people annually, could make a sound business proposition. The Muslims of India should demand suitable amendment in the Central Haj Act and put some business minded members on the Central Haj Committee. The current Haj management leaves much to be desired. There is a serious apprehension that a lot of bungling and corruption is involved in booking of accommodation in the holy sites.

We can take a leaf from Tabung Haji Corporation in Malaysia which has involved some business principles in making the pilgrimage cheaper for its pilgrims.

Finally, let us mobilize Muslim opinion to demand withdrawal of airfare subsidies for Haj in best traditions of secularism. Such a partisan largesse to Muslim is all likely to kick up demands from other communities. This will not be in the interest of this nation.

Prince of Arcot Mohammed Abdul Ali has appealed to the Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to consult ulemas, religious scholars and intellectuals in Muslim community before offering Haj subsidy to pilgrims.

In a letter to Dr. Singh, he said subsidy for Haj pilgrims was un-Islamic and against the principles of Shariat. "Haj pilgrimage is one of the obligatory duties to a Muslim, who can only afford it, but not acceptable on somebody's obligation." No country in the world, including Muslim countries, offered the subsidy. Clerics of Saudi Arabia, Muslim high dignitaries and intellectuals had objected to the subsidy.

If the Government really wanted to help Muslims, the subsidy amount could be used for the community's constructive and meaningful welfare measure.

"There is a need to create opinion among Muslims that going on Haj pilgrimage with Government subsidy is against the tenets of Islam,"

The Prince of Arcot, Nawab Mohammed Abdul Ali, in a press release said the "Union Government's subsidy for Haj pilgrims is not correct and appropriate, according to the tenets of Islam." He wondered why a Haj pilgrim should avail of it.

According to Nawab Abdul Ali, the Haj pilgrimage is one of the obligatory duties of a Muslim who can afford it.

"Let not the community sacrifice values, principles and rules of Islam for petty financial benefits," observed the Prince. "If the Government really wants to help the Muslims let the equal subsidy amount he used for the community's constructive and meaningful welfare measures."

Reacting to newspaper reports that the Union Government has decided to allow the Haj pilgrims to carry $ 10,000, as basic travel quota, in addition to 2,000 Saudi Riyals, Nawab Abdul Ali said the move means an annual outflow of foreign exchange to the tune of 1,000 million dollars for one lakh pilgrims visiting the Holy Mosques at Makkah and Madinah.

"This is not at all required if a Muslim is really interested to perform the obligatory duty, Haj," he commented. "If the pilgrims are so rich, why take the Government's Haj subsidy? The Haj is not a luxury trip or picnic."