Makkah : Haj pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir are increasingly concerned about their flood-hit state urging the government to expedite the relief and rehabilitation programs prior to their return home from the Kingdom as winter sets in.
“The devastating floods have left disastrous conditions for the Kashmiri people with water flooding the roads and communication lines cut off,” said Shahnaz Ganai, leader of the Kashmir ruling National Conference Party and MLC of state, Arab News reported. She said many pilgrims had lost hope of being able to perform Haj this year due to the floods in Kashmir but Indian authorities ferried the marooned pilgrims from their houses and brought them to the airport to board Haj flights. She said 7,011 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir came to perform Haj and most of them came from the flood-hit areas. “Sixteen pilgrims couldn’t make the journey due to the floods,” she added.
Ganai voiced concern regarding the relief and rehabilitation programs in the state which she said needed to be speeded up as winter had started in the state.
“With subzero temperatures all normal life comes to a standstill. Therefore, we need relief programs to do their job speedily,” she said. She also said that elections were round the corner and once the election commission announced the date, it would further put a spoke in the government’s efforts to announce any relief packages. She said she had met with Dr. Ahmed Mohammed Ali, chairman of the Islamic Development Bank and urged him to render financial assistance to the flood-hit state to enhance rehabilitation measures.
“The Kashmiri pilgrims were the last group of pilgrims to leave the Kingdom due to rescheduling of flights owing to the floods in the state,” she said. Ganai hailed the catering services offered to Indian pilgrims, as this relieved women pilgrims from their prime responsibility of cooking during their stay in the Kingdom and they could spend more time for spiritual activities. The Kashmiri leader also praised the services of the Indian Fraternity Forum (IFF) volunteers during Haj saying: “I was touched by their services where they even carried the pilgrims’ foot ware and held aged pilgrims aloft to complete their rites.”
She also lauded the Indian Haj medical mission in the holy cities for offering medical services to pilgrims. Ganai thanked the Saudi authorities for the Haj arrangements also their utmost care for returning pilgrims.