Non-Muslim officer appointed as CEO of Maharashtra State Hajj Committee, sparks debate
Mumbai: For the first time in its history, the Maharashtra State Hajj Committee has appointed a non-Muslim as its Chief Executive Officer (CEO), a move that has triggered debate and concern among sections of the Muslim community, according to a report by Free Press Journal.
IAS officer Manoj Jadhav has taken charge as the new CEO of the committee, succeeding Sheikh Ibrahim Sheikh Aslam. The appointment is being seen as unprecedented, as the committee is responsible for overseeing arrangements related to the annual Hajj pilgrimage.
The Maharashtra State Hajj Committee plays a key role in implementing the quota allotted by the Saudi government and facilitating the Hajj pilgrimage for Indian citizens. Of the nearly 1.75 lakh pilgrims who travel from India every year, a majority are managed through Hajj committees, while around one-fourth travel through private Hajj operators.
Jadhav’s appointment has raised questions about a non-Muslim holding an administrative position linked to the supervision of the Hajj pilgrimage to Mecca and Medina. Religious leaders have expressed apprehension over whether a non-Muslim official would be able to fully understand the religious practices, rituals and sensitivities associated with Hajj.
Shuaib Khatib, trustee of Jama Masjid in Mumbai, said that while an experienced government officer may have administrative expertise, there are concerns about whether he would be familiar with the religious aspects of the pilgrimage. He also pointed out that Saudi authorities do not permit non-Muslims to enter the core areas of the Hajj pilgrimage and questioned how an officer would be able to fully grasp the issues faced by Indian pilgrims at the holy sites.
Some residents have also voiced strong opposition to the appointment, stating that Hajj is a core religious duty in Islam and the fifth pillar of the faith. They argued that appointing a non-Muslim as CEO of the state Hajj committee is objectionable and unacceptable under any circumstances.
Meanwhile, the Hajj pilgrimage for 2026 has tentatively been scheduled between May 25 and May 30, subject to moon sighting. The Saudi Arabian government has issued guidelines for pilgrims, including a ban on cooking in camps and restrictions on carrying electric cookers. Pilgrims have been advised to carry essential medicines for five to six days, along with items such as umbrellas, sunglasses, plastic mats and protein bars.
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Screenwriter Salim Khan on ventilator support and stable, say doctors
Mumbai (PTI): Veteran screenwriter Salim Khan suffered a brain haemorrhage which has been tackled, is on ventilator support as a safeguard and stable, doctors treating him said on Wednesday, a day after he was admitted to the Lilavati Hospital here.
The 90-year-old, one half of the celebrated Salim-Javed duo which scripted films such as "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don" with Javed Akhtar, is in the ICU and recovery might take some time given his age.
"His blood pressure was high for which we treated him and we had to put him on a ventilator because we wanted to do certain investigations. Now the ventilator was put as a safeguard so that his situation doesn't get worse. So it is not that he is critical," Dr Jalil Parkar told reporters.
"We did the investigations that were required and today we have done a small procedure on him, I will not go into the details. The procedure done is called DSA (digital subtraction angiography). The procedure has been accomplished, he is fine and stable and shifted back to ICU. By tomorrow, we hope to get him off the ventilator. All in all, he is doing quite well," he added.
Asked whether he suffered a brain haemorrhage, the doctor said, "Unko thoda haemorrhage hua tha, which we’ve tackled. No surgery is required.
As concern over Khan's health mounted, his children, including superstar Salman Khan and Arbaaz Khan, daughter Alvira, and sons-in-law Atul Agnihotri and Aayush Sharma, have been seen outside the hospital along with other well-wishers. His long-time partner Akhtar was also seen coming out of the hospital.
Khan, a household name in the 70s and 80s, turned 90 on November 24 last year. It was the day Dharmendra, the star of many of his films, including "Sholay", "Seeta aur Geeta" and "Yaadon Ki Baraat", passed away.
Hailing from an affluent family in Indore, Khan arrived in Mumbai in his 20s with dreams of stardom. He was good looking and confident he would make a mark in the industry as an actor. But that did not happen. And then, after struggling for close to a decade and getting confined to small roles in films, he changed lanes.
He worked as an assistant to Abrar Alvi and soon met Akhtar to form one of Hindi cinema's most formidable writing partnerships. They worked together on two dozen movies with most of them achieving blockbuster status.
Other than "Sholay", "Deewar" and "Don", Khan and Akhtar also penned "Trishul", "Zanjeer", "Seeta Aur Geeta", "Haathi Mere Saathi", "Yaadon Ki Baarat" and "Mr India".
