The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Haj aspirants left in lurch

Online edition of India's National Newspaper
Thursday, Nov 29, 2007
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Haj aspirants left in lurch

J.S. Ifthekhar

Ministers, MPs put in embarrassing situation
Many aspirants rush to Delhi to pressure HCI

Hyderabad: The indifferent stand taken by the Haj Committee of India (HCI), Mumbai, could prevent more than 100 Haj aspirants of Andhra Pradesh from performing the pilgrimage next month. A large number of persons from the State have been allotted seats by the Ministry of External Affairs on the recommendations of MPs and Union Ministers under the Government’s discretionary quota. But the HCI is refusing to honour the confirmation letters on the plea that it is too late in the day.

This has put the aspirants in a dilemma and the MPs and Ministers in an embarrassing position. Several agitated aspirants have rushed to Delhi to bring pressure on the HCI through the MPs who have recommended their case. State Haj Committee chairman Hafiz Peer Shabbir Ahmed has dashed off a letter to E. Ahamed, Union Minister of State for External Affairs, to expedite the process of sending the selected pilgrims from any embarkation point in the country. Haj flights from AP have ended on November 22.

The Ministry of External Affairs despatched the confirmation letters from November 18 to 24. But the HCI is refusing to initiate proceedings on the ground that the letters have been received very late. It is also stated to have said that the AP quota is already over. The Haj Committee here is flooded with complaints from pilgrims who have landed in Saudi Arabia. Many ‘A’ category pilgrims are housed in buildings atop the hills in Makka Munawarra. Pilgrims in building No. 89 in Ajiyad area have to trek to reach their building, it is said.

The ‘Khadimul Hujjaj’ (Haj volunteers) are another embarrassment to the Haj Committee. The latter sent 21 Government servants as volunteers to look after the State pilgrims’ welfare with the rider that they should be in contact with the Haj Committee every day. But, so far, only ten volunteers are in regular touch.

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