Haj grant helped only airlines?

To begin with, terming the scheme subsidy was a misnomer in itself, as it was not a concession to the Haji (pilgrim) but a fund that went to the coffers of Air India and Saudia as mandated by the Indian government, point out activists.

This is how it worked: Saudi Arabia, the custodian of the Holy Mosque in Mecca, fixes a quota for pilgrims from each country at a ratio of one Haji for 1,000 Muslim population. Applications are invited and pilgrims are chosen by a draw of lots.

The catch is, as per the Haj Act, it is mandatory for the pilgrims to book tickets on either of the two national carriers. But because these airlines run chartered flights during Haj season, the cost incurred would also include empty return trips, due to which the fares are way above that charged by commercial carriers. It is this excess charge that is refunded by the Union government in the name of subsidy.

“It is to compensate for the return journey of government-mandated chartered flights by Air India and Saudia to Jeddah. The Haji pays a fixed amount of Rs 2.35 lakh for the pilgrimage, which includes flight charges, stay in Mecca and Medina, local transport and guide fees,” explained H Muhammad Afzal, honorary secretary, Tamil Nadu Haj Service Society.

Mohammed Haneefa, coordinator of the Federation of Islamic Movements and Political Parties, added that it was the airlines that are benefitting from this arrangement. “This is not a subsidy in the real sense but a way of making money,” Haneefa said. The protests from within the community, thus, was not exactly about scrapping the subsidy but about being forced to fly at charter fare instead of commercial fare. “Without the subsidy, the Haji will have to bear the extra cost, which will be Rs 27,000, making the pilgrimage costlier,” said Afzal.

The way out, argued activists, was to call for a global tender to charter flights during Haj season. For one, the dates are fixed as per Islamic calendar, bookings are done a year in advance, and there are almost no empty seats – cancellations if any could be filled by the large number of waitlisted applicants. From a logistical perspective, this is a captive business that can be provided at competitive rates when compared to the inflated rates under the present system. Instead of handing over money to the airlines in the name of subsidy, an issue that has taken political colour, Muslim scholars say the funds should instead be spent on the betterment of the community. “The funds allocated for subsidy should be used for the education of Muslim children,” said A Faizur Rahman, secretary general of Islamic Forum for the Promotion of Moderate Thought.

Meanwhile, the state unit of the SDPI said they would stage protests against the withdrawal of Haj subsidy in the first week of February.