Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s “Mann Ki Baat” that was aired other day (December 31st Sunday) became a joke of sorts. This is because PM claimed one of his achievements for Muslim women, which sounded like a mere joke, but that’s not his achievement at all.
Every year, many Muslims from India go to Haj Pilgrimage that is carefully looked after by the government. Surprisingly, women cannot go alone on this pilgrimage without the presence of a male companion. Talking about this PM Modi stated that he got shocked after finding such a barbaric rule in place and claimed that after 70 years of Independence he got that rule relaxed to help his Muslim sisters.
In reality, a Woman travelling to Haj should actually be accompanied by a man, a close relative (Mehram) is a rule set by Saudi Arabia. No country could break it because they won’t receive those women without a mehram at airport and deport them back.
But now, after the recent change in the monarchy in the desert country, they are seen moving towards moderate-Islam rather a strict conservative one. In that process, Saudi now relaxed rules and stated that women travelling in a group of more than 45 members to Mecca need not have a male companion. But they should carry an attested copy of a consent letter signed by father or brother or son.
Now, what is that PM Modi has done to claim that India will now allow Women Haj Pilgrims to travel without a male companion when Saudi’s new rule is the real thing? Asking the same question, netizens are commenting, “PM Modi told a perfect last joke for 2017”.