The Supreme Court’s directive to the government to stop the Haj subsidy in 10 years is a good deed done in driblets. There is no doubt that state subsidies in support of a citizen’s faith are an anachronism in secular India and they should be ended wherever they exist. The only reason why the Haj subsidy has survived so long is because various governments have been squeamish about being seen as anti-minority. So they left it to the courts to take the difficult call.