Mecca: The VIP quota for Haj pilgrims is currently being sought to be abolished by the Indian authorities who are in charge of planning the Islamic pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The world's largest Muslim minority nation is the Hindu-majority country of India, where more than 200 million people identify themselves as Muslims. Every year at least 150,000 Indian Muslims travel to Mecca for the Hajj, one of the Five Pillars of Islam and a spiritual pilgrimage.
The Haj Committee of India is currently reviewing 500 reserved seats set aside for top government officials, some of whom have to wait years for their turn.
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The conversation is still on.
“We have recently decided to abolish the VIP quota, but we have not actually done so yet. There is no agreement on the matter yet, according to S Muvari Begum, vice-chairman of the committee.
Begum and committee chairman A.K. According to P. Abdullakutty, ending preferential treatment to VIP pilgrims would be in line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's general policy of not giving special privileges due to high social status.
"With lakhs (millions) of people waiting to perform Hajj, this VIP culture is not good. It is not good. According to Abdullakutty, PM Modi supports ending VIP culture and promised that soon The situation will become clear."
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"Our new policy has been prepared after extensive discussions with all stakeholders... The new Haj policy will be announced in a few days."
The limit of 500 persons may seem insignificant compared to the country's annual Haj quota, but for Muslims, the concept of special treatment during the Haj was absurd.
"When you travel for Hajj everyone is equal. There is equality for everyone. There is continuity. People travel the same pilgrimage," Asad Rizvi, an intellectual living in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh, told Arab News. Rituals and dress follow.
"In front of Allah, there is no concept of VIP." Some believe that even a few hundred places would help make the pilgrimage more accessible to all. According to Zaid Khan from Meerut, Uttar Pradesh, many people want to perform Haj, but there are not enough places for them.
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I have no doubt that more people will get the chance to travel to Saudi Arabia and perform Hajj. The existence of such a quota puzzled 81-year-old Delhi resident Asad Shah. He said he would welcome its abolition if the government did, but expressed hope that more would be done to make it easier for Muslims to travel for religious purposes.
“Till a few years ago, there was a government program where they helped poor Muslims who were selected through a lottery system to perform Haj. The government should restore it if it cares for the welfare of Muslims.