Hyderabad, November 14: The Andhra Pradesh State Haj Committee has given a complete miss to the Haj pilgrims who started returning home in the early hours of Sunday.
Unlike the warm send-off that was given to 8,028 pilgrims last month, the SHC appears to have decided to simply ignore their return journey. The first flight of Saudi Airlines carrying 295 pilgrims touched down the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport at Shamshabad at 5.05 am on Sunday, after two hours delay. However, the SHC did not make any arrangements at the airport for the pilgrims or their relatives who had to wait in open for several hours.
Nearly 2,000 relatives and friends have come to the airport to receive the pilgrims. However, except for a tent, the SHC made no other arrangement. Of 25 members of the SHC, only three persons including Chairman Syed Khaleeluddin Ahmed, CEO G Mahboob Peeran and a clerk came to the airport. However, their focus was not the pilgrims, but the Minority Welfare Department secretary Mohammad Ali Rafat who returned after performing Haj.
“We came to the airport to receive our relative at around 1 am. Since then, we are standing in the open sky and the bitter cold. The SHC should have erected at least a tent for people like us,” complained Waheed Ali of Nalgonda. Another relative, Saber Ali of Mustafa Colony said the relatives were ready to pay some money to the SHC if it was running short of funds to make arrangements for the return of pilgrims. The relatives demanded action against the SHC and GMR authorities for shabby arrangements at the airport.
However, the Haj pilgrims looked elated on returning home after performing the holy ritual. “I never imagined that I will be able to perform Haj at this age. But, Alhamdulillah, I performed Haj without any difficulties,” said 84-year-old Abdul Hamid, a resident of Tolichowki. He went for Haj along with his 72-year-old wife Khaja Begum. Another pilgrim, 80-year-old Azeemunnisa said she was extremely happy over performing Haj.
Sixty-five-year-old Maqbool Ahmed Sahervardi from Gulbarga was the first pilgrim who came out of the airport at 6.55 am after customs clearance. He told reporters that although the pilgrims should not complain of difficulties that they face during performance of Haj, the officials should take measures that would benefit pilgrims in future. He said the Moallim (guide) given to them was not seen, except during the arrival and departure. Further, the arrangement of buses to carry pilgrims during Haj was improper.
Due to the paucity of space and over loading of the aircraft, the Saudi Airlines was unable to bring the containers of holy Zamzam and some luggage belonging to the pilgrims. Saudi Airlines manager Ifteqar Ahmed told INN that only 130 containers of Zamzam water could be brought in Sunday’s flight and the remaining containers and luggage would be brought through a regular flight. He said that the Zamzam water would now be distributed to the pilgrims at Haj House. The pilgrims must bring their original passports to get their Zamzam containers from the Haj House, he said.
The doctors and para-medical staff of Princess Esra Hospital, 13-member team of Customs and Excise Department and a few volunteers tried to minimise the difficulties for the returning Haj pilgrims.
The Saudi Airlines will run 26 flights to bring home the Haj pilgrims from the State and those hailing from neighbouring districts of Bidar and Gulbarga till December 1. Further, two more special flights would bring the remaining pilgrims on December 12.
——Agencies