By K.S. RAMKUMAR | ARAB NEWS
JEDDAH: India signed on Wednesday night an agreement enabling its pilgrims to perform this year’s Haj. Minister of Haj Fouad Al-Farsy and India’s Minister of State for External Affairs Shashi Tharoor signed the deal, which will allow over 160,000 Indian pilgrims perform this year’s Haj.
Tharoor was accompanied by members of Parliament Mohsina Kidwai and Madani Mahmood Hussain, and Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmad.
“Over 160,000 Indian pilgrims coming through the Haj Committee of India (HCI) and private tour operators are expected to perform Haj this year. A request for an additional quota has been forwarded to the Ministry of Haj taking into account the large number of applicants,” Tharoor told a press conference at the consulate.
Last year, 160,000 pilgrims performed the Haj successfully. They were selected from 357,000 applicants. “Our discussion with the Haj minister was both positive and constructive. Our efforts are directed to improving our partnership in the interest of our pilgrims,” he said.
Thanking the Kingdom for making elaborate arrangements for the annual pilgrimage and facilitating Indian pilgrims year after year, Tharoor said the Indian government and its local diplomatic mission have been overseeing the arrangements for its pilgrims since the 1880s. “We thus have 130 years of experience in making arrangements for our Haj pilgrims,” he said.
During their meeting with the Haj minister, Tharoor said they discussed the ongoing expansion work in Makkah, which will further improve facilities for the pilgrims.
“It’s a remarkable job for Saudi Arabia to host millions of pilgrims annually,” he said.
Indian pilgrims constitute one of the largest segments of the annual pilgrimage and the agreement covers all aspects connected with the Haj. These include arrangements for pilgrims’ accommodation in Makkah and Madinah, aside from air travel, health care and various welfare measures. Also covered are transport arrangements to Makkah, Mina, Muzdalifah, Arafat and Madinah during the pilgrimage.
Separately, four subsidiary agreements are also being reached between the HCI and the Tawafa Organization for South Asian Pilgrims, the General Cars Syndicate, the United Agents Office and the National Guides Organization.
Tharoor said like last year Saudi Arabian Airlines and Air India would ferry the Indian pilgrims to the Kingdom and back. A subcontract given to Nas Air last year would be reviewed before taking a final decision, he added.
Tharoor said this was the third time he was visiting the Kingdom, having toured Riyadh and Dammam on different occasions before.
He described Saudi Arabia as one of the most advanced countries, which wields tremendous influence in the region. “For the Gulf Cooperation Council, India is the No. 1 trading partner, ahead of China, and we invite Saudi investors to visit us and explore the tremendous potential the country holds in various sectors. India can offer high and enduring returns to investors,” he said.
Asked about the problem of visa overstayers, Indian Ambassador Talmiz Ahmed said the Indian mission, in cooperation with local authorities, is effectively tackling the problem. “They are mostly Umrah overstayers. There are only about 100 who remain. They will be deported within a week,” said Ahmed.
Arab News
