Monitoring Desk
ISLAMABAD/NEW DELHI: Indian Hajj authorities have sought to abolish the ‘Very Important Person’ (VIP) quota for Hajj pilgrims.
It is to mention here that 500 spots in India’s annual Hajj quota are reserved for VIPs — a practice that is now under review by the Haj Committee of India which is responsible for organizing Islamic pilgrimages to Saudi Arabia.
Pilgrimage one of the five pillars of Islam
With more than 200m Indians professing Islam, the Hindu-dominated country has the world’s largest Muslim-minority population. According to the estimates, every year, at least 150,000 Muslims from India embark on Hajj, one of the five pillars of Islam and a spiritual journey for Muslims while many of them will have to wait years for their turn.
Vice-chairperson of the committee, S. Muawari Begum told Arab News that they have just decided to abolish the quota for VIPs, but that decision has not yet been implemented. “There is no unanimity of views on this issue so far,” he added.
Both the committee’s chairman, A. P. Abdullakutty and S. Muawari Begum said that ending the VIP quota would be in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s general approach not to accord preferential treatment to VIP pilgrims due to their higher social status. Abdullakutty said PM Modi is in favour of ending the VIP culture and added that more clarity on the issue was expected soon. He said the new Hajj policy will be announced in a few days’ time as it has been prepared after extensive discussion with all the stakeholders.
“When you go for Hajj, everyone is the same there. Everyone is equal there,” an intellectual based in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, Asad Rizvi told Arab News. He was of the view that there is uniformity there as people wear the same clothes, go through the same process of pilgrimage. “There is no concept of VIP in front of Allah,” he added.
He further said that the government should restore the lottery system — a government programme to facilitate the Hajj for poor Muslims and was in vogue until a few years ago. If the government thinks about the welfare of Muslims, then it should restore it, he added.
