Haj camp begins at Karipur
This year’s Haj camp, organised by the State Haj
Committee, began at the State Haj House at Karipur on Friday evening.
Karipur is the embarkation point for the Hajis
of Kerala, Lakshadweep and Mahe. The first batch of pilgrims arrived at the
camp on Friday evening. The second batch is expected to reach at night.
State Haj Committee Chairman Kottumala T.M. Bapu
Musliar said the committee had arranged the facilities for the pilgrims in such
a way that they ought to reach the camp only 14 hours before the departure of
their flight. This when the Central Haj Committee has stipulated that the
pilgrims should reach the camp at least one day before. “We have made
everything so smooth for them that they need to arrive here only 14 hours
before,” said Mr. Bapu Musliar.
Indian Union Muslim League State president Sayed
Hyderali Shihab Thangal inaugurated the Haj camp. Abdussamad Samadani, MLA; K.
Mohammedunni Haji, MLA; and District Collector M.C. Mohandas spoke on the
occasion. Haj committee member C.P. Kunhi Mohammed welcomed the gathering.
The pilgrims from Kerala are to be flown to
Jeddah, and the return will be from Madina. The pilgrims will be leaving
Karipur in ‘Ihram’, a sacred state compulsory for Haj and Umra. Male pilgrims
enter into ‘Ihram’ by wearing two seamless sheets of clothes. Women wear purdah
when they enter into ‘Ihram’.
The inaugural Haj flight, under the government
supervision, will take off from Karipur Airport on Saturday morning. Union
Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed will flag off the flight at 9
a.m.
Saudi Arabian Airlines will operate 32 flights
to carry 9,000-odd pilgrims from Kerala, Lakshadweep and Mahe to Jeddah. There
will be two flights on the inaugural day. The airline will operate two flights
each on October 7, 16, and 19.
Three flights will be operated on October 8, 9,
11, 18 and 20 and one flight each on October 10, 12, 14, 15, and 17. On October
13, four flights will be operated.
The return of the pilgrims will start from
November 16. The airline will fly 32 services within 13 days to bring back all
Hajis from the State.
Quota
Mr. Bapu Musliar reiterated his demand that the
Haj quota for the States should be fixed on the basis of the number of applications
and not on the basis of the State’s population.
Kerala, though not high in population, has the
highest number of applicants for Haj in the country. Kerala has the largest
waitlist of nearly 41,000 Haj aspirants this year. “This is a massive number
compared to the waitlist of any other State. Therefore, our demand for Haj
quota allocation on the basis of the number of applicants is just and fair,” he
said.
· E. Ahamed will flag off the
flight
· Saudi Arabian Airlines will
operate 32 flights
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