Hajj 2022: 2 Years post-pandemic, 79,237 Indian Muslims to perform Hajj this year

Mangalore Today News Network

Riyadh, May 09, 2022: After two years of the COVID-19 pandemic restrictions, 79,237 Indian Muslims will fly to Saudi Arabia to perform the Haj-2022 pilgrimage which will start from July onwards, officials said here on Saturday.

 

They include around 50 per cent of women. Some 22,636 will go via Hajj group organisers and the rest through the Haj Committee of India (HCI), said Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi.

More than 1,800 Muslim women will go for Hajj 2022 without “Mehram” (male companion), and without the lottery system, he added.

Naqvi was inaugurating a two-day training camp for 400 Khadim-ul-Hujjaj’ including 12 women, who will assist the Indian Hajj pilgrims in Mecca-Medina with processes related to Hajj, accommodation, transport, health and safety.

They will be trained by officials from HCI, Brihan Mumbai Municipal Corporation, Disaster Management agencies, doctors, airlines, customs and immigration professionals.

The minister said that Hajj is taking place with significant reforms giving utmost priority to health and well-being of the pilgrims and all processes have been chalked out jointly by the governments of India and Saudi Arabia based on criteria like age, health, etc.

“We are making all out efforts to ensure there is no additional financial burden on the pilgrims as they will perform the Hajj without any subsidy. Process is going on to take accommodation, transportation and other necessary facilities in Saudi Arabia at affordable prices,” Naqvi said.

The selection process of the pilgrims was in accordance with the COVID vaccination protocols and other norms decided by the two governments, he said.

States and pilgrims

Uttar Pradesh leads with a total of 8,701 pilgrims, followed by West Bengal (5,911), Jammu & Kashmir (5,281), Kerala (5,274), Maharashtra (4,874), Assam (3,544), Karnataka (2,764), Gujarat (2,533), Bihar (2,210), Rajasthan (2,072), Telangana (1,822), Madhya Pradesh (1,780), Jharkhand (1,559), Tamil Nadu (1,498), Andhra Pradesh (1,201).

Besides, there will be pilgrims from Delhi (835), Haryana (617), Uttarakhand (485), Odisha (466), Chhattisgarh (431), Manipur (335), Punjab (218), Ladakh (216), Lakshadweep Isles (159), Andaman & Nicobar Islands (114), Tripura (108), Goa (67), Puducherry (52), Himachal Pradesh (38), Dadra & Nagar Haveli and Daman & Diu (34), and Chandigarh 25.

Naqvi said the government has arranged 10 flight embarkation points for pilgrims going through HCI — Ahmedabad, Bengaluru, Cochin, Delhi, Guwahati, Hyderabad, Kolkata, Lucknow, Mumbai and Srinagar.

Ahmedabad will cover entire Gujarat, Bengaluru (Karnataka and Chittoor district of Andhra Pradesh), Cochin (Kerala, Lakshadweep, Puducherry, Tamil Nadu and Andaman & Nicobar Isles), Delhi (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Chandigarh, Uttarakhand, Rajasthan, western districts of Uttar Pradesh), and Lucknow (Uttar Pradesh except western parts).

Guwahati embarkation point will cover (Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Arunachal Pradesh, Sikkim and Nagaland), Hyderabad (Andhra Pradesh and Telangana), Kolkata (West Bengal, Odisha, Tripura, Jharkhand and Bihar), Mumbai (Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Daman & Diu and Dadra & Nagar Haveli), and Srinagar (Jammu-Kashmir, Leh-Ladakh-Kargil).

The entire process was digital/online and has been extremely beneficial to ensure health and well-being of the people besides transparent, accessible, affordable and convenient Haj pilgrimage, Naqvi pointed out.

All pilgrims shall get a Digital Health Card, “E-MASIHA” health facility and “E-luggage pre-tagging”, providing all information regarding accommodation/transportation in Mecca-Medina.

Courtesy: Gulf News