हज्ज रियायत

कीमत

२००७ में भारत सरकार ने 5.95 billion रुप्ये की हज़ सब्सिडी दी एवं २००८ में यह रियायत 7.7 billion रुप्ये थी। १९९४ से जेद्दा सऊदी अरब का आने जाने (दोनों तरफ) का किराया INR १२००० तय किया हुआ है और बाकी का खर्चा सरकार वहन करती है। भारत सरकार ने २००७ में प्रति यात्री  47454 खर्च किया।

उच्चतम न्यालायय का फैसला

बी एन शुक्ला एवं भूतपूर्व भाजपा राज्य सभा सदस्य प्रफुल्ल गोरादिया ने Public Interest Litigation याचिका दर्ज़ की जिसमें भारत सरकार द्वारा अंतर्राष्ट्रीय यात्रा में दी जाने वाली हज़ सब्सिडी को असंवैधानिक बताकर समाप्त करके का आग्रह किया गया था। उसके जवाब में उच्चतर न्यालाय जे उसे जारी रखने का निर्देश दिया, ऐसा मानसरोवर झील पर जाने वाली यात्रा में सरकार द्वारा २०० रुप्ये की सब्सिडी का संदर्भ देते हुआ दिया गया। मानसरोवर झील तिब्बत में है।

आलोचना

Considerable criticism has been leveled against this practice, both by Hindu organizations opposed to state funding of private pilgrimage outside India and by Muslim pressure groups. As an example of the latter, Mohib Ahmad contends that even Air India's subsidized fare is higher than competing airlines' ordinary fare. However, the government has continued offering the Haj subsidy despite protests from the Muslim community at large. Syed Shahabuddin claims that Air India's rising costs for travel, and the consequent increases in the Government of India's subsidy, have resulted partly from differences in foreign exchange rates beyond the airline's control. He suggests charter fares should be set at two-thirds of regular IATA fares, but points out that the Haj has higher costs than other charters because two empty flights are required to return the aircraft to India and to position the aircraft in Arabia for the pilgrims' return journey. Shahabuddin maintains that the subsidy ought to be phased out because Hindus view the subsidy as preferential treatment of India's Muslim minority.
Other Muslim leaders have argued that the Hajj subsidy is "un-Islamic" and that Hajj money should be invested in education and health instead. मौलाना महमूद मदानी, a member of the राज्य सभा and general secretary of the Jamiat-e-Ulema-e-Hind, declared that the Hajj subsidy is a technical violation of Islamic शरिया, since the कुरान declares that Hajj should be performed by Muslims using their own resources. Influential Muslim lobbies in India have regularly insisted that the Hajj subsidy should be phased out as it is UnIslamic. Likewise, Hindu groups argue that a government sponsored Hajj subsidy forcibly taxes Hindus to pay for Muslim religious pilgrimages, and tantamounts to appeasement of Islam.

हज़ सब्सिडी को हटाना

After considerable pressure from Muslim groups and the Ministry of Minority Affairs, the Congress government in 2010 decided to begin phasing out the Haj subsidy that had been in operation since 1993. The Central Haj Committee of India will work through the Ministry of External Affairs to restructure the Air fares so that the richer Hajis will pay a premium for the poorer pilgirms. The entire restructuring is expected to take about seven years and be completed by 2017.
In August 2010, the Minority Affairs Ministry formally opposed providing subsidy for Haj pilgrimage, saying the scheme — in operation since 1993— was contrary to the teachings of Islam. The Government of India has proposed that starting from 2011, the amount of government subsidy per person will be decreased, and by 2017 will be ended completely. (Instead, “a premium would be charged from better-off Hajis to cross-subsidise the travel cost for the less well-off Hajis”.)