Economic crisis forces Sri Lankan Muslims to forgo Haj pilgrimage this year
Colombo(PTI): Sri Lankan Muslims have decided to forgo the Haj pilgrimage this year due to the worst economic crisis facing the debt-ridden country, a media report said on Wednesday.
Saudi Arabia had approved a quota of 1,585 Haj pilgrims from Sri Lanka for the year 2022, out of the one million foreign and domestic Muslims allowed to travel to the holy city of Makkah in the pilgrimage season, the Arab News reported.
However, it was decided that no Muslim from Sri Lanka would travel for the pilgrimage this time, following a discussion held by several parties including the National Haj Committee, Haj Tour Operators Association of Sri Lanka, and the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department.
When going through the prevailing situation and the suffering the people are undergoing in our mother Lanka, members of both associations decided to sacrifice this year's Haj, said a letter directed to the Muslim Religious and Cultural Affairs Department by the All-Ceylon Haj Tour Operators Association and Haj Tour Operators Association of Sri Lanka.
Haj Tour Operators Association President Rizmi Reyal, meanwhile, said the decision by operators was unanimous due to the severe dollar crisis facing the country .
Sri Lanka has been facing the worst economic crisis since its Independence from Britain in 1948, partly due to lack of foreign currency, which has meant that the country cannot afford to pay for imports of staple foods and fuel, leading to acute shortages and very high prices.
The whole Haj operation of Sri Lankan pilgrims will cost around USD 10 million, which is a big amount compared with the current economic situation of the country, said Ahkam Uwais, chairman of the National Hajj Committee under Sri Lanka's Department of Muslim Religious Affairs.
The decision to forgo this year's Hajj is a generous gesture by members of the Muslim community to sacrifice their pilgrimage for the sake of the country, he added.
Muslims make up almost 10 per cent of Sri Lanka's 22 million -- predominantly Buddhist -- population.
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Stalin claims DMK secured 1.54 crore votes
Chennai (PTI): DMK president M K Stalin on Tuesday, in a veiled reference to the TVK, claimed that the party that won additional constituencies has gained only 17.43 lakh more votes than the DMK.
He was referring to the April 23 Assembly polls where the DMK and its allies secured 74 seats, with the Dravidian party netting 59 constituencies.
In a statement, Stalin said, "the percentage difference in votes between us and them is just 3.52 per cent," in an apparent reference to the Vijay-led Tamilaga Vettri Kahzagam emerged victorious in the polls, the results of which were announced on Monday.
Claiming that the DMK alliance has secured 1.54 crore votes, Stalin said, "I consider each and every one of your votes as an invaluable token of trust".
Stating that DMK has been in power several times, he said "there is no victory we have not seen and there is no defeat we have not faced".
"Whether in victory or defeat, those who regard them equally and continue their journey toward their ideals are the comrades of the party", he said adding "you are the lifeblood and roots of the movement".
"The harvest of 1.54 crore votes is the fruit of your commitment", he said.
"What return can I offer for your hard work? With the feeling of being the chief worker, we will continue our journey," the DMK chief added.
Stalin said "if we are the ruling party, we will formulate schemes for the people. If we are the opposition party, we will fight for the people's demands. In that regard, now as a strong opposition party, we will continue to work for the people".
Asserting that the DMK will continue the journey of taking forward the policies of the century-old great Dravidian movement, protecting race, language, and nation, the DMK leader said "in our journey, I will not leave anyone behind. We will win again".
