Pilgrims outside Haj House in Mumbai, awaiting departure for the annual pilgrimage | File Photo
Mumbai: The sight of of hundreds of pilgrims and their relatives camping on footpaths outside Baitul Hujjaj (Haj House) near Crawford Market have fuelled allegations that pilgrims from outside Maharashtra have eaten into the state’s share, denying locals a chance to go on what is for many, a once-in-a-lifetime journey.
The Maharashtra State Haj Committee has clarified that only local residents have been allocated seats from the state’s share and the people on the footpaths are those who chose to fly from Mumbai despite having been allotted pilgrimage permits from other states.
Community groups have demanded that the Chief Executive Officer of the Haj Committee of India should intervene and resolve the issues.
Pilgrims outside Haj House in Mumbai, awaiting departure for the annual pilgrimage | File Photo
Shuaib Khatib, trustee of Mumbai’s Jama Masjid, alleged mismanagement of the pilgrimage. Khatib said he spoke to families outside Haj House. “Many of them are from Madhya Pradesh. Why are Hajis being treated like this?” asked Khatib. “Mumbai is the biggest embarkation point for the pilgrimage. Why is the Haj Committee allowing pilgrims from other states to come to Mumbai?”
Of the 1,75,000 pilgrims from India who will travel to Saudi Arabia for the annual pilgrimage. To streamline the pilgrimage and to prevent strain on infrastructure, Saudi Arabia allocates numbers based on a country’s Muslim population. The current ratio is one slot for every 1000 Muslims. A lottery selects applicants because the number of applications always exceeds the quota. Maharashtra will send 28,000 pilgrims this year.
There are allegations that pilgrims who cancelled their bookings for personal reasons have not been refunded the money they have paid. A social worker from an organisation that helps pilgrims accused the Haj Committee staff of causing hardship and distress during what should be a spiritual journey.
“One of the major concerns raised is the refusal of refunds to pilgrims who cancel their Haj pilgrimage due to personal emergencies,” the social worker said. “For the last 50 years, those who cancelled their trip through the committee were refunded. Now, the staff are denying it without a valid explanation,” said the social worker.
Other glitches, including the closure of the committee’s online reporting facility, have now been rectified. “Pilgrims are being asked to report in Mumbai two days before their flight, causing inconvenience, especially for those traveling from other districts,” the social worker added.
The Maharashtra State Haj Committee said the refund rules have changed; however, it added that the allegation that pilgrims from other states were accommodated in the state quota was false. Shanavas C, CEO of the MSHC, said that the pilgrims from Madhya Pradesh are in Mumbai because they have selected Mumbai as the embarkation point.
“There are Haj flights from Bhopal and Indore, but people prefer to take the flight from Mumbai. Flights have been added in Mumbai because of this,” said Shanavas.
“We provide accommodation for pilgrims, but there are only about 400 to 500 rooms. We cannot provide accommodation for relatives,” Shanavas said, adding that Saudi Arabian authorities have changed refund rules. “Only cancellations in emergencies like deaths are allowed as reasons for cancelling the trip. The refunds will be given later.”
Haj flights from Mumbai started from April 29 and will end on May 30. The five-day Haj pilgrimage will be held between June 4 and 8, depending on the moon’s sighting.
