KSA, August 31: Like every year, even this year India Fraternity forum (IFF) deputed its members for Hajj volunteer service. It is focusing on serving Hajis in every possible way since 16 years in kingdom. IFF systematically covered most part of the MINA to guide and help hajis.

IFF Dammam had a special team deployed for Hajj service which was started by a gathering in Dammam, with distribution of uniforms and ID cards by Mr. Attaullah, the head of Dammam team. He notified with do’s and don'ts to be followed during the service.

Volunteers were divided into teams in different areas lead by respective captains. IFF volunteers were seen helping the hajis in several different ways and coordinating with different service groups to fulfill the needs of the hajis. They also tried their best to make this journey more comfortable and easier for the Hajis.

The volunteers were provided with route map of MINA to assist the hajis to reach their desired destination.

Though it was a tough for the volunteers to serve continuously for 12-14 hours on field they completed their task with utmost care and dedication. Below are few highlights and positive moments of the volunteers.

volunteers were seen physically lifting the hajis and taking them to their accommodation at MINA.

Hajis were provided with food materials, provided with waters, umbrellas and sandals.

Volunteers were continuously seen assisting hajis by carrying their baggage and helping the old/disabled ones to move them in a wheelchair.

Volunteers were seen guiding the misguided and lost hajis to their respective accommodation.

Volunteers were seen interacting with hajis from different nationalities and guiding them in spite of being unfamiliar of the language.

The journey ended up on the 13th dhul hajj by assisting and supporting the hajis reach their respective buildings at Aziziya.

Adequate food, comfortable accommodation, medical aids and good transportation were provided for the volunteers at Makkah from IFF.

Mr. Attaullah appreciated the volunteers for the hard work and motivated them to participate in the upcoming years to serve the hajis.


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Bengaluru (PTI): Karnataka Chief Minister Siddaramaiah on Wednesday said that the Women's Reservation Bill is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation. 

Terming the delimitation as the political re-engineering at the cost of southern states, Deputy Chief Minister D K Shivakumar said that these states will stand united, speak in one voice, and defend the true spirit of federalism. 

The leaders' statements came a day before the Constitutional Amendment Bill with provisions on women's reservation implementation and delimitation was tabled in the Lok Sabha. 

"You are right in highlighting the larger implications of the proposed delimitation approach and the concerns it raises for southern states. We wholeheartedly support the Women's Reservation Bill - it is a long-overdue reform that must be implemented immediately within the existing framework, without being made contingent on delimitation," Siddaramaiah said in a post on 'X'. 

He was replying to his Telangana counterpart A Revanth Reddy's post on 'X' with a letter, urging the former to unitedly resist moves to push a pro rata model to increase Lok Sabha seats, which would be highly detrimental and inimical to the interests of southern states. 

"Any exercise that reshapes political representation must be undertaken with utmost care. The Union Government must engage all states in a transparent and consultative process, and ensure that fairness, federal balance, and consensus guide this critical decision," Siddaramaiah added. 

Shivakumar said that this is not a delimitation, but political re-engineering "at the cost of southern states". 

"The proposal to increase Lok Sabha seats from 543 to 850 will systematically reduce the voice of the South, while rewarding unchecked population growth elsewhere. This is nothing but punishing progress and good governance," he posted on 'X'. 

Clarifying that Congress fully supports women's reservation and in fact, it was party's top leader Sonia Gandhi's vision and commitment that brought this dream to the national agenda, the Deputy CM said, "We demand that it be implemented without linking it to delimitation or seat expansion."

"I urge the Union Govt to not hide behind women's empowerment to push a deely unfair political agenda. Rushing such a massive restructuring of India's democracy during elections, without transparency or consultation, is deeply suspicious and unacceptable," he said. 

Asserting that India's strength lies in balance not domination, and in fairness, not manipulation, Shivakumar said, "The Southern states will stand united, speak in one voice, and defend the true spirit of federalism." 

"We will not allow the South to be politically marginalised."