Courtesy : Shubha Srinath : Nehrus Secularism !! ------- Haj Committee Act In this context I may refer to the Haj Committee Act of 1959 which was sponsored and enacted at the instance of Jawaharlal Nehru in replacement of the defunct Port Haj Committee Act of 1932 enacted by the British Government to curry favour with the minority Muslim community as against the majority Hindu population who were the main supporters of the Indian National Congress which was spearheading the struggle for Independence while the Muslim League, under the leadership of Mr. Jinnah, was trying to perpetuate the British Rule in India, by putting spokes in the negotiations with the British Government by Mahatma Gandhi. In the Haj Committee Act of 1959 in section 2 (b) it is defined that ``pilgrim means a Muslim proceeding on or returning from pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Jordan. In section 14 of the said Act it is mandatory to create a Haj Fund to which sums have to be allotted by the Central and State Governments. Whether this is a secular enactment or non- secular, the opposition parties like the CPI, the CPI(M) and the Congress should explain. Nehru had no objection to enact a statute for spending state funds to facilitate the pilgrimage of Muslims to their holy lands abroad with considerable expenses at the same time denying even small expenses by the State of Saurashtra for the inauguration of the renovated Somnath temple.
Posted on: Sat, 08 Nov 2014 02:00:33 +0000
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