Letter to Chairman, Haj Committee, 29 August, 2000
l thank you once again for inviting me to the Annual Haj Conference in New Delhi.
I have now gone through your notes on Review of Arrangements for Haj 2000 and the Preparations for Haj 2001
I would like to make the following comments and request you to place my views before the next meeting of the Haj Committee.
Last Date: The last date should NOT be extended.
However, all late applications should be diarised in chronological order of receipt.
Haj Quota: Within a week of the last date, it should be possible to fix the approximate 'Haj Quota' in the light of the total number of applications received, even without scrutiny about eligibility. This quota should be announced and it should NOT be changed later. .
Accommodation in Mecca: I welcome the concept but it is not clear how and on what basis have the number and rates for various categories been fixed. I think a small Delegation of the Haj Committee should immediately proceed to Mecca and alongwith the C.G. make inquiries about the availability and market rate and fix the number and rate for each category realistically.
Selection of Buildings: The Haj Committee should stop the practice of sending B.S.T.'s. It should alternatively prepare a roster for deputation for 14 days of one Member of the Haj Committee, by rotation right from now, who should okay or reject all buildings selected by the Consul (Haj).or the CGI. In case of rejection, the case should be referred to the Consul General and the Chairman and finalised by them by consultation. I do not think it is necessary to involve the Ambassador in Riyadh except in the unlikely event of disagreement between the CG and Chairman.
Haj Charter: I understand that Saudia has refused to participate. So the Haj Committee should ask Air India if it can provide the service through its own aircrafts. If it is, the Charter Fare should be fixed at not higher than 66.6 per cent of the return IATA fare. If the Air India cannot, the Haj Committee should float its own tender and select the foreign carrier and decide the charter terms and work out detailed norms for ground and in-flight facilities. What is important is that the Charter Agreement, with Air India or a foreign carrier should be signed by the Haj Committee and not by Air India or by the Government of India. Needless to say, the technical advice of A.A.I. and DGCA and the guidance of the MCA and the MEA should be available to the Haj Committee throughout the negotiations. Indeed the AAI and DGCA representatives should be included in the Charter Negotiating Team as consultants.
Baggage: It is a brilliant idea to standardise the personal baggage but the size only and not its quality should be fixed by the Haj Committee. This should be left to the State Haj Committees to procure and distribute the suitcases/boxes. The Haj Committee should play no part in this procurement.
Training of Pilgrims: A training programme can be effectively conducted only if the pilgrims are batched by districts and by one plane-land, say, 450. 450 Pilgrims from one district or contiguous districts should be treated as a unit, for a Training Course.
Welfare of Pilgrims: My suggestions are:
1) Each Batch should have one Amirul Hujjaj from within its ranks. He may be paid a small honorarium but no free seat or accommodation.
2) For each Batch, the State Government should select a general physician of the rank of Civil Asst. Surgeon (with about 5-10 years experience) and a compounder and a nurse who should travel with the batch in India, to Saudi Arabia and back and in Saudi Arabia. This Medical Team should be accommodated along with the pilgrims.
3) The Central Government should only select medical teams for the Central Dispensary in Mecca/Medina and a few Zonal Dispensaries. This should include some specialists.
4) The State Government should depute a junior executive officer with each batch to act as the Khadim-ul-Hujjaj. He should be on official deputation but he should travel, stay and move with the pilgrims in his charge. The pilgrim of each batch should know their Amirul Hujjaj, their Medical Team and their Khadim-ul-Hujjaj and vice-versa. They should live with each other and be available to them night and day.
5) The administrative personnel, on deputation to the CGI, Jeddah, should be reduced only to those required to man the Haj Terminal, the Haj Office in Jeddah, Mecca and Medina. They should not be higher than Section Officer/Assistant in rank. Their number should progressively increase with the out-going Hajis and go down with the in-coming Hajis.
6) For all footwork in Mecca/Medina, local Indians should be recruited as temporary Haj Staff.
7) Volunteers from the Indian community should be organised language/state-wise and utilised with specific groups and for specific missions.
