Below you will find a letter to the editor published in the Sentinel. The author has expressed his feelings very well and his words make a lot of sense in secular India. But will the politicians pay any attention? How about the bureaucrats in charge of disbursing the money every year?
Dilip
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Subsidy for Haj Pilgrims and Indian Muslims
Quite often Jibon Saikia, being a responsible citizen, expresses his views and opinions on various subjects of social relevance through the Letters to the Editor column. In one of his letters (The Sentinel, September 19), Mr Saikia rightly questioned the government policy of granting subsidy for Haj pilgrims. Such subsidy is indeed unconstitutional and unethical meant only for Muslims on Haj pilgrimage, thus ignoring other communities.
The Government of India would do well to stop the grant of subsidy for Haj pilgrims, or grant subsidy to pilgrims of other religious communities as well. This might uphold the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution.
The British left India in 1947, but the Congress party continues to follow the British policy of divide and rule. The Congress, in the last 50 years, has been very successful in ruling India by dividing the populace into majority and minorities. The Congress policy of minority appeasement has done no good to the Muslims and the country as a whole.
But Mr Saikia, it is very irresponsible on your part to say that Muslims living in India do not consider themselves as Indians, and that they have more attraction towards Pakistan than towards India. You sound very radical when you question the integrity of Indian Muslims! Here I disagree with you, Mr Saikia.
Our President is a Muslim. Is his patriotism and integrity doubtful? I agree that there is a section of Indian Muslims indulging in anti-India activities, but that does not mean that each and every Indian Muslim is anti-national and unpatriotic.
Mr Saikia, let me tell you one more thing. I am a school teacher and I did sing Vande Mataram on September 7 along with my colleagues and students. So please do refrain from making any such remark that may hurt the sensibility of patriotic Indians, regardless of religion.
Mishbahul Hasan Ansari,
Polo Field, Tezpur.
Quite often Jibon Saikia, being a responsible citizen, expresses his views and opinions on various subjects of social relevance through the Letters to the Editor column. In one of his letters (The Sentinel, September 19), Mr Saikia rightly questioned the government policy of granting subsidy for Haj pilgrims. Such subsidy is indeed unconstitutional and unethical meant only for Muslims on Haj pilgrimage, thus ignoring other communities.
The Government of India would do well to stop the grant of subsidy for Haj pilgrims, or grant subsidy to pilgrims of other religious communities as well. This might uphold the secular fabric of the Indian Constitution.
The British left India in 1947, but the Congress party continues to follow the British policy of divide and rule. The Congress, in the last 50 years, has been very successful in ruling India by dividing the populace into majority and minorities. The Congress policy of minority appeasement has done no good to the Muslims and the country as a whole.
But Mr Saikia, it is very irresponsible on your part to say that Muslims living in India do not consider themselves as Indians, and that they have more attraction towards Pakistan than towards India. You sound very radical when you question the integrity of Indian Muslims! Here I disagree with you, Mr Saikia.
Our President is a Muslim. Is his patriotism and integrity doubtful? I agree that there is a section of Indian Muslims indulging in anti-India activities, but that does not mean that each and every Indian Muslim is anti-national and unpatriotic.
Mr Saikia, let me tell you one more thing. I am a school teacher and I did sing Vande Mataram on September 7 along with my colleagues and students. So please do refrain from making any such remark that may hurt the sensibility of patriotic Indians, regardless of religion.
Mishbahul Hasan Ansari,
Polo Field, Tezpur.
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