National
Muslim bodies demand competitive bidding for Haj travel
New Delhi, Jan 17 (IANS) A day after the Narendra Modi government announced withdrawal of Haj subsidy, prominent Muslim organisations, including Jamat-e-Islami Hind (JIH), All India Muslim Personal Law Board (AIMPLB) and Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind, on Wednesday reiterated their demand for competitive bidding among airlines to ferry Haj pilgrims between Delhi and Jeddah.
The Muslim bodies unanimously said that the money in the name of Haj subsidy — that amounted around Rs 200 crore last year — went to Air India only and that Muslim pilgrims did not get any direct benefit from it.
JIH Secretary General Muhammad Salim Engineer said the “abrupt” withdrawal of subsidy “is bound to increase the overall cost” of performing Haj which will impact many pilgrims from the poor and deprived sections of society.
“A false impression is being created that this subsidy was an appeasement of the Muslim community and a drag on tax payers’ money. But the reality is that this subsidy was a payment taken from the Indian Hajis and given to the national carrier Air India, which had a monopoly for ferrying Hajis to Saudi Arabia,” Salim said.
“We urge the government to spell out how it plans to permit other airlines to fly Hajis from India given the exorbitant prices Air India charges Indian pilgrims. The government must float a global tender for hiring an airline for Haj,” he added.
AIMPLB General Secretary Maulana Wali Rahmani said he could not understand why Air India charged something between Rs 65,000 to over Rs one lakh from Indian Haj pilgrims, depending upon the embarkation point, for return ticket to Jeddah.
“In normal days, the return ticket to Jeddah from Delhi costs something around Rs 35,000 to Rs 40,000. Now, if you book the tickets three months in advance, and in bulk, for close to two lakh people, the cost should ideally come further down,” Rahmani said.
“But here is Air India charging many times over. Why? Why doesn’t the government go for open tendering?” he added.
JUH President Maulana Syed Qari Mohammed Usman, too, was for competitive bidding among airlines for ferrying the pilgrims.
“The subsidy was being shown as a favour to the Muslims, which is not true. We have been demanding this (open tendering) for years, and especially after the Supreme Court direction to the government in 2012 to withdraw the subsidy, various Muslim organisations made this demand,” Maulana Usman said.
“It was time the government implemented it, and we are sure the cost of travel would come down,” he added.
When IANS asked Union Minority Affairs Minister Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi after he announced the withdrawal of Haj subsidy on Tuesday, as to whether with the government planning to sell its controlling share in Air India, would it continue to enjoy the monopoly over Haj contract, Naqvi said that these modalities will be “worked out at a later stage”.
–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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