Record 2 lakh Haj pilgrims from India this year: Union Minister Naqvi
Mumbai: Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi Sunday said a record number of two lakh Indian Muslims will go to Haj this year, that too without any subsidy, on more than 500 flights from 21 embarkation points across the country.
Addressing a meeting of representatives of private tour operators (PTOs) at Haj House in Mumbai, Naqvi said while 1.40 lakh pilgrims will go through the Haj Committee of India, the rest 60,000 will make the pilgrimage with the help of PTOs.
A total of 725 PTOs will take Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia this year.
All the PTOs will have to take 10 thousand pilgrims on the rates decided by Haj Committee of India, he said, adding that a portal of PTOs -- http://haj.nic.in/pto/ has been developed containing details of tour packages etc.
"The Ministry of Minority Affairs received serious complaints against some PTOs. This year, three PTOs have been blacklisted. Strict action was taken against several of them last year as well," he said.
"The number of women Haj pilgrims going without mehram (male companion) has increased this year and stood at 2,340.
Around 48 per cent of the two lakh Haj pilgrims from India are women," the minister informed. Naqvi said Saudi Arabia's decision to increase India's Haj quota to two lakh had ensured the clearing of waiting lists from all big states.
For the first time since Independence, all applicants from states like Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, Bihar will go for the Haj pilgrimage this year, thanks to the enhanced quota, he added.
Naqvi said making the entire Haj process online has ensured the pilgrimage was not expensive despite withdrawal of subsidies, adding that the process was now "pro pilgrims".
A total of 14 health centres (11 in Makkah and three in Madina) have been established along with three hospitals in Makkah and one hospital in Madina to ensure proper health facilities for Haj pilgrims, the minister said.
A total of 620 Haj coordinators, assistant Haj officers, Haj assistants, doctors, paramedics etc have been deployed, including a large number of women, informed the minister.
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Marxism will remain relevant despite Left electoral's losses, says general secretary M A Baby
New Delhi (PTI): CPI(M) General Secretary M A Baby on Thursday asserted that the Left movement would remain relevant despite not being in power in any state, saying the ideology would continue to endure as long as social and economic inequalities persist.
Hitting back at BJP leader Rajeev Chandrasekhar over his reported remarks that Marxism had become irrelevant, Baby, in an interview with PTI Videos, said, "So long as there is division in society, so long as there is exploitation of the majority of workers, peasants and ordinary masses by a handful of billionaires, Marxism will remain relevant."
"That perhaps Mr Rajeev Chandrasekhar may not be able to understand, but this is the fact of the matter," he said.
Baby acknowledged that the CPI(M)-led Left was currently without an elected government in any state, but maintained that electoral setbacks would not diminish the movement's role.
"We may not have an elected government in any state. There were occasions when we didn't have a government. But the red flag and the commitment to organise and struggle for the rights of the dispossessed, marginalised and exploited will always be upheld by CPI(M) and the Left movement," he said.
He said the Left continued to enjoy support among workers, peasants, agricultural labourers, youth, students and women, and argued that the movement remained necessary because "oppression and assault" continued in society.
"So long as such problems exist in society, the red flag and the working class movement will continue to work among the masses," the Left leader said.
Exuding confidence on the Left's revival, Baby said the party would reflect on the reasons behind its electoral loss.
"We may be rejected in one election, but we will stage our comeback by understanding what went wrong with us," he said, adding, "We will listen to people and we will come back with higher strength."
Baby also criticised the Congress over reported factional tensions in Kerala after the Congress-led United Democratic Front's victory in the state.
"The way they are behaving is being watched by the people of Kerala," he said, referring to infighting within the Congress.
"Those who have given a massive majority to Congress and UDF would be watching all this," he added, while urging party leaders to "settle the problem in an amicable, democratic manner".
Referring to West Bengal, Baby alleged that violence had escalated following the BJP's victory in the state assembly polls.
"It is quite unfortunate that the moment BJP snatched a massive victory in West Bengal, violence has also started on a big scale," he said.
He also accused the Trinamool Congress of being "notorious for violent activities" and alleged that the "RSS-controlled BJP" had "unleashed violence in many places" after the election results.
"This is not good for Bengal, not good for the country. We wish and hope that normalcy would be restored as soon as possible," he said.
Baby said the CPI(M) and the Left in West Bengal would continue efforts to "pacify people" and avoid violence and confrontation.
Asked about former Kerala chief minister Pinarayi Vijayan not reacting publicly to the election results, Baby said Vijayan would respond "at an appropriate time".
