NEW DELHI: A sharp debate over religious funding has reignited following a bold statement by social commentator Prafful Sarda, who questioned the glaring disparity in state support for Hindu pilgrimages compared to minority-focused schemes. Sarda demanded to know why pilgrimages like the Amarnath Yatra and the Char Dham Yatra do not receive the same level of financial backing as the Haj pilgrimage has over the years.
“For years, the majority population in this country has been treated like second-grade citizens,” Sarda said. “When will they receive equal treatment? Will the government ever allocate the same level of funding for the Amarnath and Char Dham Yatras as it does for schemes benefiting the largest minority, or are such benefits reserved exclusively for them?”
Backing his argument with data obtained via RTI, Sarda highlighted that between 2004 and 2014, under the UPA government led by Dr. Manmohan Singh, the Haj subsidy amounted to a staggering Rs 6,560 crore — averaging Rs 655 crore per year. During the initial years of the Modi government, from 2014 to 2017, an additional Rs 1,137 crore was spent, bringing the 13-year total to Rs 7,697 crore.
According to the Ministry of Civil Aviation, the Haj subsidy amounts disbursed by the Government of India from 1994 to 2017 are as follows:
- 1994: ₹10.51 crore
- 1998: ₹110.78 crore
- 2001: ₹151.00 crore
- 2005: ₹196.00 crore
- 2007: ₹477.00 crore
- 2012: ₹836.56 crore
- 2013: ₹680.03 crore
- 2014: ₹577.07 crore
- 2015: ₹529.51 crore
- 2016: ₹405.39 crore
- 2017: ₹200.00 crore (Budget Estimate)
According to the latest RTI reply from the Haj Committee of India dated 11 April 2025, the government stopped the Haj subsidy from the year 2018. However, the number of pilgrims who proceeded for Haj under the Haj Committee of India during the years 2014 to 2024 is as follows:
- 2014: 99,915 pilgrims
- 2019: 1,39,987 pilgrims
- 2020: Haj was cancelled due to COVID-19
- 2021: No Haj due to pandemic conditions
- 2024: 1,39,964 pilgrims
- 2025: Numbers awaited until the completion of Haj
Sarda’s remarks have intensified calls from various quarters for equal treatment of religious pilgrimages, especially those significant to the Hindu community. While the Haj subsidy was officially phased out in 2018, critics argue that for decades, state resources were disproportionately used in favour of one religious group, sidelining the sentiments and needs of the majority.
Supporters of Sarda’s stance argue that taxpayer money must be used fairly across all communities, including those who undertake pilgrimages to the Himalayas and other sacred Hindu sites, often under harsh conditions. They demand infrastructural investment and safety mechanisms on par with what was once extended to Haj pilgrims.
The statement is expected to stir a fresh round of political and policy discourse, especially in the run-up to upcoming elections, with questions of appeasement politics, religious equity, and public funding once again taking centre stage.
