Khan also made it clear that all the pilgrims—those who do not even apply for cancellations– will get the refunds automatically deposited in their accounts.
NEW DELHI: The cancellation of Haj 2020 pilgrimage is almost a certainty now, Haj Committee CEO, Maqsood Ahmed Khan, told the New Indian Express on Friday.
Talking about a letter he had issued on Friday evening offering pilgrims 100 per cent refunds on the amounts they had deposited for their Haj pilgrimage, Khan said that there was “less than 5 percent chance” of Haj pilgrimage happening this year, in view of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The letter issued on behalf of the Haj Committee of India stated that 100 per cent refunds were being offered to the pilgrims after “communication (dated March 13) was received from Saudi authorities…conveying to temporarily halt the preparations for Haj 2020. As only a few weeks are left for the preparatory work in India, for Haj 2020, yet Saudi authorities have not communicated any further development.”
Khan also made it clear that all the pilgrims—those who do not even apply for cancellations– will get the refunds automatically deposited in their accounts.
Chances of the Haj pilgrimage being dropped this year became apparent with curbs being put on the movement of international flights and with no communication from Saudi Arabia. The Haj flights from India to Saudi Arabia were scheduled to commence from 25 June and the 40-day pilgrimage is scheduled to end by August 2.
A total of two lakh Indian Muslims were supposed to go on the pilgrimage this year. Of this, 70 per cent people were scheduled to go through the Haj committee while private tour operators were given a quota of facilitating 30 per cent pilgrims.
Khan explained that the committee finalises applications in two stages but because of the coronavirus threat, this process also got delayed and only one batch of applications comprising 1.25 lakh pilgrims were given clearance.
The Haj fees or expenditure for the pilgrimage is collected in three instalments. The final instalment was not collected from pilgrims because the final amount is decided after getting approval from Saudi authorities, Khan said. All pilgrims selected by Haj Committee of India however, have paid Rs 8.1 lakh each, the first instalment and some had also paid the nd instalment of around Rs 1.10 lakh.
Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim majority country which sends the highest number of pilgrims to Saudi Arabia is the only country so far to have announced the cancellation of Haj 2020.
Umrah—a smaller pilgrimage performed in Saudi Arabia has already been cancelled for the past two months.
THE NEW INDIAN EXPRESS
