National
Haj subsidy should be continued: Congress
Thiruvananthapuram, Jan 16 (IANS) The Congress’ Kerala unit on Tuesday demanded that the central government should continue with the Haj subsidy, terming its removal yet another of its acts against the minority community.
Former Chief Minister Oommen Chandy termed it as the most unfortunate and called for it to be reversed.
“Giving subsidy for Haj is historically relevanA and has been going on for ages. This is a clear act of targeting the minority community and will disturb the secular fabric of our country and hence should be reversed,” he said.
The Narendra Modi-led central government on Tuesday announced it had decided to withdraw subsidy given to hundreds of thousands of Muslims for the annual Haj pilgrimage with Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi saying it was in line with the government’s agenda to empower minorities without appeasing them.
He said the government would utilise the funds saved from withdrawing the subsidy for education of minorities, particularly girls. The government had drafted the policy to abolish the Haj subsidy in phased manner after the Supreme Court asked it in 2012 to withdraw it gradually by 2022.
This year as total of 10,981 Haj pilgrims from Kerala were supposed to benefit through the subsidy.
State Congress president M.M. Hassan said that this is the latest example of the attitude of the Centre towards the minority community, adding that subsidy has been on since the days of first Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru.
Of the 3.34 crore Kerala population (1.61 crore males and 1.73 females), Muslims comprises 88.73 lakh – 41.76 lakh males and 46.97 lakh females.
State Haj Committee chairman Thodiyur Moulavi however said that now that this has been stopped, the Centre should see that the airlines stop exploitation by charging high fares.
“If they are able to do that, then it’s fine. However the decision to divert the subsidy amount to provide education to Muslim girls, is nothing but a ploy to project an image that this government is for the welfare of Muslim women, will not stand,” he said.
Senior woman Congress leader Shanimol Usman said the Centre has again proved of how things can be done in haste.
“The decision to divert the subsidy for providing Muslim girls education can only be seen with extreme caution as if one looks into what this government has done so far, proves they have messed up everything,” she said.
Former state BJP president V.Muraleedharan however said the Congress is just playing “appeasement politics” to please the Muslim community.
“Providing subsidy for just one community destroys the principles of secularism and the decision to use this subsidy for the education needs of the Muslim girls is most welcome,” he said.
–IANS
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Lucknow: Vishal Singh, a renowned social worker from Lucknow, also known as Foodman, has once again made India proud. He was honored by the Happy Hands Gloves Cooperative Limited Company in Korathai, Thailand, for his work with the Hunger Free World Mission.
The Hunger Free World Mission’s meeting was held in Korathai, Thailand, under Vishal Singh’s leadership. Representatives from several countries, including Mr. Raja Dwivedi (Managing Director of Happy Hands Gloves Limited), Thailand Coordinator Mr. Raja Mishra, and member Mr. Varun Singh, attended the event.
Under Vishal Singh’s leadership, the attendees took a pledge to work together toward creating a hunger-free world.
Speaking on the occasion, Vishal Singh explained that the main goal of the Hunger Free World Mission is social participation. He said the mission is not just about feeding people but also about meeting other basic needs of those who are struggling. The mission focuses on helping families of terminally ill patients in hospitals by providing food and shelter. It also works to fulfill essential needs like education, jobs, and care for the elderly.
For the last 16 years, the Vijay Sri Foundation has been providing free services, benefiting thousands of people. Vishal Singh highlighted that the mission aims to gain global recognition like other organizations such as WHO, WWF, and Red Cross, which work for social causes.
During this meeting, Vishal Singh was appointed as the Chairman of the Hunger Free World Mission by representatives from various countries. They also discussed holding regular meetings in different countries to push the mission forward.
Business tycoon Dr. Abhishek Verma has also supported this humanitarian mission, vowing to promote the idea of “Seva Parmo Dharma” (Service is the highest duty) worldwide. Vishal Singh praised him, stating that people like Dr .Abhishek Verma inspire others to work for the betterment of society.
Recently, Romania’s Ambassador, Mr . Daniela Sezonov Ţane, invited Vishal Singh to the Romanian Embassy in Delhi, where they discussed the mission in detail. Impressed by his humanitarian work, she honored Vishal Singh and invited him to Romania to take the mission forward .
Food man Vishal Singh has been serving the people of India for the past 16 years. Through the Vijay Sri Foundation, he provides free meals to cancer patients & their families ,shelter, and education for women & children along with running free old-age homes in Lucknow.
In addition to his humanitarian work, Vishal Singh also addresses issues like crime and corruption through his role as Chairman of Seva Path Media and Managing Director of Vijay Sri Foundation.
During the COVID-19 pandemic, Vishal Singh and his team worked tirelessly to provide food and help to the needy, including starving children, elderly citizens, and pregnant women. Despite contracting the virus himself, he continued to assist others after his recovery. He even created a life-saving oxygen regulator using household items, which was praised by doctors both in India and abroad.
In his address at the meeting, Vishal Singh spoke about his mission to create a hunger-free world. He pointed out that India’s large population, along with issues like unemployment and poverty, has caused the country to fall on the Hunger Index. He urged people to contribute just one handful of grains daily to help create a hunger-free world.
He concluded by saying that through social participation, we can empower the people around us, meet their basic needs, and work together to build a stronger, more prosperous, and developed society.
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