What Is The Haj Quota And How Does It Operate?
Recent Declaration:
The Union Minister for Minority Affairs, claimed that the decision to eliminate the optional Haj quota was evidence of the "Modi government's resolve to eradicate VIP culture." In line with Prime Minister Narendra Modi's "resolve to abolish VIP culture" in the nation, the Centre has eliminated the discretionary Haj quota for pilgrims, according to Union Minister for Minority Affairs on Wednesday.
"During the UPA rule, VIP culture was established with regard to Haj, and a special quota was allotted to the Ministry of Minority Affairs, Haj Committee, and all those in the top constitutional posts. The minister said, "A new, comprehensive Haj strategy has been developed and will be unveiled shortly." Notably, the former Haj policy, which was intended to last from 2018 to 2022, is no longer in effect.
The Haj Journey Is An Enormous Logistical Undertaking:
Annually, Muslims travel to Mecca, Saudi Arabia, the holiest city in Islam, for the Haj pilgrimage. For all adult Muslims who are physically and financially capable of doing so, it is seen as a necessary religious obligation. In Dhu al-Hijjah, the final month of the Islamic calendar, the pilgrimage rites are carried out over a period of five to six days. However, it presents a significant logistical difficulty for the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia.
It is challenging, to say the least, housing, feeding, and organizing safe pilgrimages for the millions of travelers who arrive in Mecca from all over the world in a short amount of time. As a result, Saudi Arabia assigns country-specific quotas that establish the maximum number of pilgrims that can depart from a specific nation.
These quotas are generally distributed based on how many Muslims a country has. The quotas, however, are also significant diplomatic difficulties. Countries beg Saudi Arabia for extra spots every year. The pilgrimage will return at its full scale in 2023 after a Covid-19-related hiatus.
The Allocation of Haj Slots For Pilgrims – India’s Distribution:
The Haj 2023 bilateral agreement between India and Saudi Arabia was signed on January 9, according to a tweet from the Indian consulate in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. According to the agreement, 1, 75,025 Indians will be permitted to perform Haj, which is apparently the most ever. While the details of India's most recent Haj policy have not yet been made public, the way the system has historically operated is that the Ministry of Minority Affairs and the Haj Committee of India (HCoI) divide the quota granted to India (by Saudi Arabia) to various parties.
The 2018-22 policy paper states that the HCoI receives 70% of India's entire quota while private operators receive the remaining 30%. While private tour companies are free to set their own prices and accept anyone who wants to pay them, the bulk of pilgrims typically travel through the HCoI, which manages a government-subsidized trip (though the subsidy is being phased out).
According to the 2018–22 policy, 500 of the total slots with the HCoI are kept under the "Government discretionary quota," and the other slots are given to several states based on their Muslim population. If the number of applicants exceeds the number of openings, a draw of lots is held in each state to select who travels.
What Are The Discretionary Quotas For The Haj?
A second division of the "Government discretionary quota" places 200 seats with the Haj Committee itself and 300 with those who occupy significant positions at the Centre. These consists of:
• 100 with the President
• 75 with the Prime Minister
• 75 with the Vice President
• 50 with the Minister of Minority Affairs
According to the previous policy, these seats could be given to people who applied for the pilgrimage using the standard channels but were unsuccessful in receiving a slot for the journey. However, these seats have now been returned to the general pool, abolishing quota.
Ongoing Discussion On The "VIP Quota":
It has been raised before, so this is not entirely new. The VIP quota for Haj pilgrims was referred to as a "bad religious practice" by the Supreme Court in 2011. The Government's quota was cut by the Supreme Court in 2012 from nearly 5000 to 500, with 300 going to the Government and 200 to the HCoI. The government was also ordered by the Supreme Court to phase out the Haj subsidy within ten years in the same ruling, stating that the money may instead be used for the social and educational advancement of the Muslim community.