Deprived of subsidy

The Indian government has ended decades-old policy of giving Haj subsidy to thousands of pilgrims every year. This reflects the government’s double standards. While on one hand the authorities continue to spend hundreds of millions on various Hindu festivals and pilgrimages, on the other hand, the Indian Muslims have been deprived of the Haj subsidy.

As far as the Indian Muslims are concerned, they should not be upset about this decision because Haj is obligatory only for those Muslims who can bear the cost of travel. Muslims make the Haj pilgrimage with their hard earned money and do not require any charity.

Asif Iqbal Qasmi

Hyderabad, India