Mangaluru: Pilgrims left under Hajj Committee care complain lack of basic facilities
Mangaluru: Pilgrims who traveled for Hajj through the Hajj Committee have alleged that they are experiencing major hardships, and that despite their appeals to authorities and representatives, they are receiving inadequate responses.
Earlier the pilgrims complained about proper accommodation being not arranged in Makkah and now, similar issues have arisen in Mina, with an even more dire situation. The Pilgrims claimed that they were being treated as if they had been given the opportunity to perform Hajj through the free quota of the government.
Mumtaz, a resident of Moodbidre, recounted the experience of her daughter, Amatul Ahad, and son-in-law, Muhammad Hisham Irshad, who left for Hajj from Bengaluru on May 22. Mumtaz claimed that both his daughter and son-in-law faced a lot of problems in Makkah and Madina, she said, “The problem is double in Mina. There is no proper bus system from Azizia to Mina. It was instructed to be ready at 3:30 pm on June 14. But the bus came and took the pilgrims the next day. The bus, which was supposed to reach Dhul Hajj in the morning on the 8th, reached after noon. Consequently, they could not access their tents in time, forcing many to wander around on the bus.”
“Despite the government collecting the fixed amount for the pilgrimage, essential arrangements were missing. Pilgrims were not given metro bus passes, and there was a severe lack of drinking and bathing water as well as adequate food. My daughter even sustained a leg injury, but there was no medical treatment available. She was forced to walk 25 km on one occasion, while my son-in-law had to sleep on the streets due to the lack of accommodation. Help finally came from pilgrims from Maharashtra who shared their camp with them,” she added.
Mumtaz further mentioned that her daughter and son-in-law were not the only ones suffering and that around 40 others faced similar problems. She also claimed that several pilgrims from across India reported such issues.
Mumtaz also alleged that attempts to draw attention to these problems have been futile, as officials have not taken responsibility. She stated, “The government, despite receiving the full amount for the pilgrimage, failed to provide necessary facilities, leading to an unsatisfactory Hajj experience. Communication was also hindered due to the unavailability to charge mobile phones.” Mumtaz also urged the government to take appropriate action on behalf of the Haj pilgrims who are facing problems.
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Kerala leader M A Baby elected CPIM general secretary
Madurai(PTI): Former Kerala minister M A Baby was elected as the CPI(M) general secretary at the 24th party congress here on Sunday, sources said.
A section of the party leaders had backed All India Kisan Sabha (AIKS) president Ashok Dhawale for the post.
Born to P M Alexander and Lilly Alexander in Kerala's Prakkulam in 1954, Baby's first exposure to politics came when he joined the Kerala Students Federation, the predecessor of the Students Federation of India, during his school days.
He was a member of the Rajya Sabha from 1986 to 1998.
Baby has been a member of the Politburo, the highest decision-making body of the CPI(M), since 2012.
The post of the party general secretary fell vacant following the death of Sitaram Yechury last year, after which Prakash Karat took over as the interim coordinator.
The 24th party congress of the CPI(M) began on April 2 and will end on Sunday.
