By TwoCircles.net Staff Reporter,
Mumbai: Will the pilgrims, especially aged ones, not selected in qurrah (lottery) despite repeated applications, get something to cheer about? Haj Committee has given positive indications but the elderly people, yet to perform Haj even once, will have to wait for one year for their dream to come true.
Pilgrims falling victims of lottery system, have long been demanding some arrangements whereby it is ensured that they get at least one chance to perform Haj. They had put two demands: either to ensure pilgrimage for them at any rate or to exempt the aged pilgrim applicants from lottery and send them directly to Haram Shareef.
The demands to this effect have been made even from some state Haj committees besides the pilgrims whose names could not appear in the lottery.
Owais Siddiqui, the CEO of Haj Committee of India, reportedly told that the next year, one of the two demands may be fulfilled.
‘The names, addresses and the pre-paid amount of the pilgrims who are not selected in lottery, will be kept safe and next year they will be preferred while lottery is conducted. ‘
He also said that earlier aged persons were excused from lottery but pilgrims misused the scheme and consequently it was closed.