Muslims aghast as a Hindu dons CEO’s cap

Mumbai : Sparking intense debate and deep unease among Muslims, the Maharashtra government has appointed a non-Muslim IAS officer as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Haj Committee (SHC), just as preparations for the annual Haj pilgrimage get underway. According to official sources, Manoj Jadhav, a high-ranking IAS officer, is named the new SHC CEO, replacing Shaikh Ibrahim S. Aslam, who demitted office recently. The appointment is being described by critics as unprecedented...

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Muslims aghast as a Hindu dons CEO’s cap

Mumbai : Sparking intense debate and deep unease among Muslims, the Maharashtra government has appointed a non-Muslim IAS officer as the Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of the State Haj Committee (SHC), just as preparations for the annual Haj pilgrimage get underway. According to official sources, Manoj Jadhav, a high-ranking IAS officer, is named the new SHC CEO, replacing Shaikh Ibrahim S. Aslam, who demitted office recently. The appointment is being described by critics as unprecedented in the state’s history, even as state government officials maintain that the SHC CEO’s role is administrative in nature. Unconvinced, community leaders and legal experts point out that the position carries significant religious and operational responsibilities. India sends around 1.75-lakh Haj pilgrims to Saudi Arabia every year, with a substantial majority coordinated through state and central Haj committees. The CEO is directly involved in overseeing the logistics, accommodation, travel schedules, coordination with Saudi authorities, and compliance with religious requirements associated with the Holy Haj pilgrimage. Former SHC Chairman (2014-2018) Alhaj Ebrahim Gulam Nabi Shaikh, said the appointment has raised serious questions over its validity. “There is no provision in either the Central or State Haj Committee Acts that explicitly allows or envisages such an appointment. It is shocking how this decision was taken without consulting all stakeholders. Beyond administration, the CEO must address several religious and community-sensitive issues. Many Muslims are genuinely worried about how this will be handled,” he told The Perfect Voice. Well-known advocate Yusuf Abrahani termed the decision “blatantly illegal” and said it has caused widespread distress. “I am in touch with major Muslim organisations, community leaders, trusts, and clerics across the state. We plan to challenge this appointment in court as early as next week,” he said. Abrahani further noted that the CEO is traditionally expected to travel to Mecca and Medina, engage with Haj authorities, and possess a working understanding of Haj rites, rituals, and Islamic practices. “This is far from being merely an organisational job. The question is not personal competence, but institutional appropriateness and legality,” he added. Muslim intellectual M. Faisal Azmi, whose father, the late Hafiz Naushad Azmi was an ex-SHC Chairman, described the development as ‘absolutely unimaginable’. “It has shaken the entire Muslim community. Senior religious leaders and legal experts are discussing various options to challenge and rectify this,” he said. “This is purely a matter of faith and religious administration of the Muslim community and cannot be tinkered with casually. It must be examined whether the Haj Committee Act permits such an appointment and under what circumstances. If it does not, the decision is clearly open to legal challenge.” SUHAIL KHANDWANI, Managing Trustee, Haji Ali Dargah & Mahim Dargah “It is a matter of deep regret. Muslims are being systematically sidelined from key statutory and official bodies. Now even the Maharashtra State Haj Committee has not been spared. The motives may be questionable, but such actions will not succeed in weakening the community’s resolve.” MAULANA MAHMOOD DARYABDI, General Secretary, All India Ulema Council

India bears the brunt: Nifty crashes 1,100, Sensex nosedives 3,900 points after US trade shock

Correspondent
Apr 7, 2025
2 min read

India woke up to a financial jolt this morning as its equity markets suffered their steepest fall in nearly a year, shaken by the ripple effects of US President Donald Trump’s aggressive new tariff regime. The Sensex plunged over 3,900 points at opening bell, while the Nifty tumbled more than 1,100 points, dragging Indian stocks to a 10-month low.

This sharp decline follows a global equity rout triggered by Trump's protectionist measures, which have sent panic waves across Asia and raised the spectre of a global recession. Investors dumped shares in a massive sell-off, with Indian benchmarks reacting sharply in early trade. The Sensex dropped to 71,425.01 — down 3,939.68 points — while Nifty slipped to 21,743.65, marking a 3.5% slide from the last session.

Adding to the pressure, the Indian rupee depreciated 30 paise to open at 85.74 against the US dollar.

India Among the Hardest Hit

Trump’s latest tariff hike — framed as a push to restore fairness to global trade — has imposed country-specific duties that go as high as 50%. India has been slapped with a 26% tariff, while a 10% baseline duty applies to all nations. This has set alarm bells ringing among Indian exporters and traders already struggling with global demand volatility.

President Trump, unfazed by the financial carnage, likened the move to a bitter but necessary cure. “Sometimes you need the medicine to fix something,” he told reporters earlier today.

Analysts Urge Economic Safeguards

Market experts believe that India's current market turmoil isn't rooted in domestic issues but is rather a consequence of being tightly woven into global investment flows.

“India will face the heat, not due to domestic reasons, but as an interlinked chain in the global portfolio flows,” said Ajay Bagga, a noted market expert. “India will need a fiscal, monetary, and reform package to protect the domestic economy from this global economic winter that is threatening to settle in.”

Sunil Gurjar, SEBI-registered research analyst, warned that the Nifty50 index has breached its first support level and is approaching the next. "A further breakdown could worsen the trend and accelerate the fall," he cautioned.

Asian Markets Bleed

The tremors from Trump's announcement were first felt in Asia, with key markets suffering steep losses. China's stock markets fell over 4% amid retaliatory tariffs of 34% against the US. Hong Kong's Hang Seng nosedived more than 10%, while Japan’s Nikkei index fell 6.5% after plunging 8% earlier in the day. Taiwan saw a near-10% collapse, and Singapore dropped over 8%.

Wall Street Braces for Impact

US markets, though yet to open, appear set for a rough start. Futures contracts on the New York Stock Exchange are sharply down, suggesting heavy losses once trading resumes.

Market sentiment globally has turned bearish, with fears of a looming recession taking hold. Stephen Innes of SPI Asset Management described the scene as “free-fall mode,” noting, “Trump’s team isn’t blinking. The tariffs are being treated as a victory lap, not a bargaining chip.”