India (AP) may give subsidies to Christians to visit Israel they already give muslims subsidy to visit mecca hindus dont need a subsidy for any of their pilgrimiges cause they are rich and it would be a burden on taxpayers i guess the logic here has beat the mguinty ontario gov't when they want to give catholics their own school system(using taxpayer money) and wont give a penny to any minority religious community. http://tvnz.co.nz/view/page/536641/1580225 south Indian state will subsidise pilgrimage trips for Christians who want to travel to Israel, officials said. There are about 1.2 million Christians in Andhra Pradesh, representing nearly two percent of the state's population. Among them is Y S Rajsekhara Reddy, the state's chief minister. The subsidy is being modelled on that already offered by the central government to Muslims wanting to join the annual haj pilgrimage to Mecca, according to N D Tiwari, the state governor, in announcing the subsidy. New Delhi even has a special haj air terminal for Muslims, who account for about 13% of India's 1.1 billion population. Political opponents, including the Hindu-nationalist Bharatiya Janata Party, say Reddy's government is pandering to minority communities ahead of state elections next year. Details of the subsidy are still to be decided, Mohammad Ali Shabbir, the minister for minorities welfare, said on Tuesday.
yea in all countries, majority get their way, in india minorities get their way...muslims and christians but indian gov't doesnt care about majority hindus, and the Minority Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists which is very very sad
Have you considered the fact that Hindus need not visit anothr country to make pilgrimage as India is the spiritual home of Hinduism. By the way, why do Christians need to go Israel?
THE whole point of subsidy is TO LESSEN THE BURDEN of payments needed to fulfull ones religion it doesnt matter if they travel within india, if a hindu from delhi needs to goto tamil nadu, its the same price/distance as a muslim from kerela going to mecca is some instances.. so the point is hindus,sikhs,buddhists,jains are 2nd class citizens in india THAT IS FACT
If they allow them to take a tax write off for the cost of the trip, that could make sense if the country doesn't tax your religious expenses. The only difficulty is that as a Christian, God's Holy Spirit indwells you so there is no need to visit a building, statue, river, mountain, or whatever.
yea all im saying is if ur gonna do it for 1 religion, then do it for all religions, especially when the country doesnt even do it for the majority unlike every western nation that takes care of majority first.. and we all know india has the most religions in the world living together in peace
agreed, indians need to grow up and realize how the majority has been taught to think like a 2nd class citizen