Latest news with #Hajis
Hans India
5 days ago
- Hans India
Haj committee inspects arrangements at RGIA
Hyderabad: To inspect and review the arrangements for the smooth arrival of Haj pilgrims returning from the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, the Telangana State Haj Committee Chairman Syed Shah Ghulam Afzal Biyabani (Khusro Pasha), on Wednesday visited the Rajiv Gandhi International Airport, Shamshabad. During the inspection, the Chairman personally examined various key facilities prepared for the comfort and convenience of the returning Hajis. These included the Wazu (ablution) area, Namaz (prayer) area, holding area, exit gates, Zam Zam water distribution counter, customs clearance point, and overall passenger flow arrangements. The Chairman was accompanied by officials from the Telangana State Haj Committee, Airport Authority, Customs, CISF, and GMR officials, who briefed him about the steps being taken to ensure a smooth and respectful reception of the pilgrims. He emphasized the need for seamless coordination between all concerned departments to provide dignified and hassle-free services to the pilgrims, many of whom are senior citizens. It was informed during the inspection that the arrival of Haj pilgrims is scheduled to begin from June 13 and will continue up to July 9, in multiple batches. Sajjad Ali, Executive Officer, Telangana State Haj Committee, Md. Mujeebuddin, Md Layeeq, Dr Syed Azhar Ali, Members TS Haj Committee, K M Reddy Addl. BCAS, R C Meena, Deputy Commandant CISF, Shamandar Addl FRRO, Junaid Salik Deputy Commissioner Customs, Md Wajeed Ali Saudi Airlines, Sujit GMR Security, Santosh CISF, Sumit Kapoor GMR, Leela GMR, Sunil GMR, Pankaj Raxa and other officials were also present.
Time of India
6 days ago
- General
- Time of India
Haj Committee reopens free UPSC coaching centre in Mumbai after one year closure
MUMBAI: After a closure for one year, the Haj Committee of India reopened its free residential coaching centre for UPSC aspirants at the Haj House here. The residential coaching centre was closed in December 2023. Recently, the Haj Panel issued a notice inviting applications for admission to the free residential coaching centre for Civil Services exams, both preliminary and main (2026), for 100 seats. For the first time, the coaching programme, being funded entirely by the money of Hajis kept as a corpus with the Haj Committee, is allocating 20% of seats to candidates of other minorities, SCs, STs, and OBCs. The notice issued by Haj Committee CEO Shanvas C recently stated that candidates will be selected after a written examination and personal interview. June 21 is the last day for submission of applications, while the entrance exam is scheduled for July 13, with essay writing and personal interviews on July 24 and 25. The admission process will be completed on July 31, while classes will commence on August 11. Started in 2009, the coaching centre's closure had drawn flak from community leaders. Subsequently, many, including Congress MLA Amin Patel and Congress functionary Mudassar Patel approached Congress Rajya Sabha Member Imran Pratapgadhi, who raised the issue in Parliament. Mudassar Patel,said that he personally met both Pratapgadhi and former CEO of Haj Committee and requested them to restart the centre. "On my request, Imran Pratapgadhi raised the issue in the Rajya Sabha. The matter reached Mr Rijiju and he approved reopening of the coaching centre which is going to help underprivileged candidates," said Mudassar Patel. Amin Patel too welcomed the move. "We are grateful to Imran Pratapgadhi too for raising the issue, which convinced minority affairs minister Kiran Rijiju to allow the Haj Committee to restart the coaching centre," said Patel. Former CEO of Haj Committee Md Owais, who was instrumental in starting the coaching centre in 2009, said: "Many candidates from underprivileged backgrounds who cannot afford expensive coaching at private institutes benefited. This is great news that the Haj Committee has restarted this centre, which will benefit the poor candidates."
Hindustan Times
20-05-2025
- Politics
- Hindustan Times
Omar Abdullah thanks Kiren Rijiju, Ram Mohan Naidu for extra Hajj flights after earlier disruptions
Jammu and Kashmir chief minister Omar Abdullah on Tuesday thanked Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju and Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu for swiftly responding to his appeal and arranging additional flights for 1,885 Hajj pilgrims who had earlier missed their journey due to flight disruptions caused by the Pahalgam attack and the conflict with Pakistan. Posting on X and tagging both ministers, Abdullah wrote, 'Grateful to the Minority Affairs and Civil Aviation Ministries for promptly acting on our request and scheduling additional flights for our 1885 Hajis who couldn't undertake the holy journey earlier due to flight disruptions.' Just a week ago, Abdullah had requested the central government to provide more Hajj flights from Srinagar to accommodate the backlog of 1,895 pilgrims affected by recent disruptions. In a tweet, the J&K CM stated, 'I have taken up with the Government of India the urgent need to arrange additional Hajj flights from Srinagar to clear the backlog of 1,895 pilgrims caused by recent flight disruptions. Ensuring a smooth and timely pilgrimage for our pilgrims is the Government's priority.' A total of 3,372 Hujjaj Karam – the term used to refer to Hajj pilgrims – departed from Srinagar on May 4. According to a facilitator, the final flight to Mecca was scheduled for May 15. Days after the first group of Hajj pilgrims from Srinagar departed for Mecca to perform the annual pilgrimage, the second batch also took off following a halt in hostilities between India and Pakistan. Omar Abdullah flagged off the first group of 178 pilgrims heading to Saudi Arabia for the holy journey. 'Today, I had the honour of bidding a warm see-off to the first batch of 178 Hajj pilgrims from Sheikh-ul-Alam International Airport, Srinagar. Wished them a safe, fulfilling journey and humbly requested prayers for peace and prosperity in our region,' the J&K CMO posted on X. Jammu and Kashmir Governor Manoj Sinha was also present at the airport for the send-off ceremony. Among the pilgrims, Malik Abrar Altaf was deeply moved as he spoke about the spiritual meaning of the journey. 'I can't describe my emotions. The feeling is different. Hajj means journey. Allah called us, and we are going. I only hope Allah makes our journey easier and has mercy on our qaum. Islam means peace. We only hope that there is peace across the world. We will make dua for Kashmir, which always remains under turmoil,' Altaf told ANI. Another pilgrim highlighted the once-in-a-lifetime significance of Hajj for Muslims. He also expressed sorrow over the recent terror attack in Pahalgam. 'This is the biggest day in my life. Muslims have to undertake this journey (once in our lifetime). We will offer duas for Kashmir because there is a lot of pain here. We will pray for Pahalgam,' he said.
Express Tribune
18-05-2025
- Politics
- Express Tribune
Haj: technical lacunae
Listen to article The status quo is that the intending Hajis are not at fault. They bestowed their trust and hard-earned money with the government-regulated Haj nexus, and now more than 65,000 pilgrims are keeping their fingers-crossed. The official word is that there was a technical lacunae and the 'Tawafa' services supposed to be duly completed by the quota-wielders, both private and government, were not done in time. This places the entire responsibility on Hajj operators and they must undergo retribution. The Saudi government, as usual, on its part had exhibited largesse and accommodated around 10,000 more out of timeline pilgrims. But that cannot absolve our unprofessional clique at work to go scot-free, as has been convention on such national torpedoes, and the Ministry and the operators should face the music. It has also become inevitable at this point of time to revisit the entire mechanism of Haj operations at work and streamline them on the latest lines as practised by many in the world. It is a pity, likewise, that a large number of overseas Pakistanis who opted for going to Hajj through this nexus are stranded in the country. Many of them had already air-dashed to their near and dear ones in advance, hoping for a blessed sojourn to the holy lands after seeking and offering blessings to their wards. The point is: who will account for their woes, in case they miss the privilege of going to Hajj, which seems likely to be the case for many of them? The fervour, as far as Pakistanis are concerned, in terms of their belief and societal convention, is that most of the intending Hajis save for years, and keep praying to see the light of the day when they would make it to Haj and Umrah. Denying them this privilege on the premise of unprofessionalism, and trying to cover it up, is unacceptable and is a crime, per se. The authorities are in need of working day in and out to realise the dream of the lingering pilgrims, and at the same time come down hard on characters who are responsible for this psychological and ministerial mess.
Hans India
12-05-2025
- Hans India
‘Fake news' cause decline in Haj pilgrim numbers this year
Hyderabad: Haj pilgrims from the State witnessed a drop in numbers this year, raising concerns. So far 2,400 have cancelled, bringing down the number to less than 7,000 from over 9,000, after getting selected by the Telangana Haj Committee. The State authorities have attributed this to the fake news spread by social media. Compared to the previous year where over 11,000 applications were received by the State Haj Committee, this year it received 9,061 applications. However 2,400 have cancelled, bringing down the number to 6,947. This has raised concerns, as the initial flights of pilgrims have already begun in April last week. 'Presently, around 2,400 have been cancelled and how many more are there we do not know. The reasons include extreme heat in Saudi Arabia, fear of getting crushed in stampede like situation, poor arrangements and increased anxiety amongst children who do not wish their parents to risk their lives,' informed official sources. In 2024, a total of 208 Indian pilgrims died as per a report from the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs. These include eight from Telangana. The previous year's Haj pilgrimage witnessed an unprecedented heat wave in Makkah, with temperatures soaring over 50 degrees celsius. This resulted in reported deaths of over 1,300 from pilgrims participating from different countries, mostly elderly. However, the State Haj Committee has squarely put the blame on the social media in the State, which has allegedly gone overboard in reporting the issue. It has been pointed out that the social media has created panic amongst the aspiring Hajis in the past year, which caused discouragement to those who wish to join, particularly when the aspirants are aged. This has prompted a few to spend massive amounts of money and opt for private tour operators, promising comfortable and secure service throughout the pilgrimage. 'Some of those cancelling have already paid initial installments to the committee and now they wish to get back their money. Mostly, extreme heat is cited as the reason,' said sources. However, the State Haj Committee has promised that all the arrangements are made for hitch-free pilgrimage this time. Chairman of Telangana Haj Committee Syed Ghulam Afzal Biyabani said that the present government was taking all the precautions this year. 'We are taking all the steps needed for the smooth pilgrimage of those leaving from Telangana and also those from neighbouring States who will be boarding the flight from Hyderabad. Different groups have been formed of Khadimul Hajjaj (volunteers), maintenance, officers. We are monitoring the situation 24x7 with proper coordination on ground. We hope that fake news is not spread this time around. Those reporting on the events in Saudi Arabia must verify the facts before airing and act more reponsibly,' said the Chairman.
