By Kashif-ul-Huda, TwoCircles.net
Hajj is the most important travel in a Muslim’s lifetime, and for most of us it is once-in-a-lifetime travel. Some wait for years to save money and be free from obligations so that they can carry out this religious obligation with spiritual sprit and peace. It, therefore, comes as a surprise to hear of incidents wherein Hajis and their relatives get into arguments, heated exchange and even physical violence.
The Hajj operation for 2007 started on a bad note with delays in flights from Srinagar, J & K. Hajis were stranded at Srinagar airport in freezing temperature when planes could not take off due to bad weather. The bad weather also made the travel from Jammu impossible for thousands more. They were not allowed to go to Delhi for boarding planes to Saudi Arabia. Instead, they had to wait nervously for roads to Srinagar to open up.
The return journey was even worse. Some Hajis reported waiting for three days at Jeddah airport for catching their flight back home. Many returned home without their baggage and others had to pay extra fee to bring their baggage. It is difficult to imagine that crowd of Hajis this year was much different from that of previous years. Then what explains their impatience with Air India officials? For years Hajis have been bringing back gallons of Zamzam water, then why Air India imposed extra baggage charge this time?
India sent 157,000 Indians for Hajj this year; of all, 110,000 went through Hajj Committee of India (HCI). Hajis who go through HCI travel by Air India, and for this service Government of India pays the airline thousands of rupees per passenger. The amount aggregates to several hundred crores. This subsidy covers 5% of total annual revenue of the airline.
If Hajis traveling through HCI are made available to other airlines to compete for their business, we will see an improvement in the services offered to them. This will also reduce the cost of air tickets and maybe eliminate the need for any subsidy. This, however, does not mean that the country should leave pilgrims at the mercy of airlines. The country will have to take care of pilgrims whether they are going to Mecca or Madina, Nankana Sahib, Vaishno Devi or Kailash Mansarovar.
It is easy to believe that the Air India officials are responsible for problems and discomfort to Hajis. Yet, we expect more from the pilgrims returning from a life-changing journey. They should have patiently tried to resolve the problems and difficulties without raising tempers. They should have complained to higher authorities and keep their dignity and respect intact.