Saudi invites 36 Indians for Haj

Saudi Arabian government has invited 36 Indians to perform the Muslim holy ritual of Haj in January, Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed told rediff.com.

The Saudi government will fully sponsor the visit of these people to the holy cities in the country.

The beneficiaries are the relatives of the 12 Indians who died during the stone throwing ritual in Mina while performing Haj last year. The Saudi government has invited three relatives of each of those who died in the incident.

Also Read Indians among 14 killed in Haj stampede

Almost every year, people die during Haj due to stampedes or fire in the tents where the pilgrims are accommodated, but this is the first time that Saudi Arabia has invited family members of victims.

The ministry of external affairs is in the process of contacting the concerned families, which are free to nominate any three people of their choice.

India sends the largest number of Haj pilgrims after Indonesia. The Central Haj Committee sends about 72,000 pilgrims at a subsidized rate while the rest go through private operators paying the full fare.

This year, 82,000 pilgrims will go through the government agency after Saudi authorities increased India's quota following a request by Ahamed. The total pilgrims this year will be 130,000.

At the Haj conference held in Delhi on Wednesday, Haj committees of all the states discussed the problems faced by pilgrims and possible solutions. A major decision was that the annual Haj conference will now be held every six months.