Review arrangement for future: Pilgrims
Nawshaba Iqbal
Srinagar, June 2: The first batch of 144 Haj pilgrims from J&K returned to Srinagar today after completing the annual pilgrimage in Saudi Arabia.
The returning pilgrims, including 74 men and 70 women, were received by Chief Minister Omar Abdullah and their family members at the airport, with several alleging “poor arrangements” by the Haj Committee of India during this year’s pilgrimage.
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Welcoming the pilgrims, Omar congratulated them on the successful completion of Haj and expressed hope that their prayers and spiritual experiences would contribute to peace, prosperity and well-being in J&K and across the country.
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He also interacted with the returning pilgrims and enquired about the arrangements made during their stay in Saudi Arabia as well as their return journey.
Omar appreciated the efforts of departments and agencies involved in facilitating the pilgrims’ return and directed the concerned authorities to ensure efficient baggage handling, transportation and other support services for the arriving pilgrims.
According to officials, 4,641 pilgrims from J&K performed Haj this year, of whom 3,952 are scheduled to return through the Srinagar Embarkation Point. Return flights are scheduled between June 2 and June 16.
Advisor to the Chief Minister Nasir Aslam Wani, Additional Chief Secretary to the Chief Minister Dheeraj Gupta, Deputy Commissioner Budgam Amir Athar Khan, senior civil and police officers, representatives of the J&K Haj Committee, Airport Authority and other agencies were present on the occasion.
While describing the pilgrimage as largely smooth and spiritually fulfilling, several returning pilgrims raised concerns over baggage restrictions, accommodation, food arrangements and the utility of smart watches provided during Haj.
Speaking to Excelsior, some pilgrims alleged that a number of facilities highlighted during pre-Haj orientation programmes were not available as expected.
“We were told that special arrangements had been made for pilgrims, but many of those claims did not match the actual situation. Pilgrims faced difficulties at different stages of the journey,” a pilgrim said.
Several pilgrims also questioned the usefulness of the smart watches distributed to Hajis, claiming that many, particularly elderly pilgrims, were unable to operate them.
“Around Rs 6,000 to Rs 7,000 was charged for the smart watch, but many pilgrims found it of no use,” another pilgrim said.
Food arrangements also came under criticism, with some returnees alleging that pilgrims had to make their own arrangements on several occasions despite being informed that catering facilities would be available.
Baggage-related issues emerged as another major concern. Pilgrims said luggage allowances were revised during the course of the pilgrimage, creating confusion and inconvenience.
“We were informed of one baggage limit before departure, but later the allowance was revised. Even on the return journey, part of the luggage was sent separately by road,” a pilgrim said.
Some pilgrims also questioned the immigration procedure on the return journey, saying that despite departing from Srinagar as international passengers, they were required to complete immigration formalities at Ahmedabad before boarding their onward flight to Srinagar.
Gulzar Ahmad Ganie, a pilgrim from Anantnag, said the Haj was completed without major difficulty, though the return journey took longer than expected.
“We left our accommodation early in the morning and reached Srinagar much later than anticipated,” he said.
Another pilgrim, Shameema Bano, said arrangements during Haj were generally satisfactory, particularly in Mina, but baggage-related issues caused inconvenience to many pilgrims.
The returning pilgrims urged the authorities to review the arrangements for future Haj seasons and suggested that prospective pilgrims seek feedback from this year’s pilgrims before undertaking the pilgrimage.
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