Click to play videoThiruvananthapuram: It's an annual call to millions of the faithful, but for some it's the sound of cold hard cash - travel agents and tour operators who monopolise Haj quotas and extort higher fees from devotees.
Alhind is an agency based in Kerala with more than 30 offices worldwide. Its website boasts of getting the largest Haj allocations.
The Branch Manager of Alhind Travels, Biju Varghese says, "We are the number one Haj and Umra handling agent in India."
They are also the best connected agency and get the largest quotas. More and more irregularities are now coming to the Government's notice and many are calling for a full overhaul of the Haj allocation system.
"We recommend to the honourable Prime Minister to bring reforms in the Haj administration," says Deputy Chairman of Rajya Sabha, Rahman Khan.
A look at the figures disclosed in a recent reply to Parliament shows while other Haj operators got an average of 155 passengers, Alhind recieved a whopping 1,700.
Members of Parliament are taking up the issue accused former external affairs minister of State E Ahmed, of close links to Alhind.
"How can ministers allocate Haj tickets? This is pure political interference," says former MP from Malapuram, TK Hamsa.
Now in the Railway Ministry, E Ahamed is the MP from Malappuram elected six times in a row. President of Indian Union Muslim League, and part of the UPA, he is influential in Kerala and Delhi - influence he is now accused of misusing.
Rashtriya Lok Dal Harit Pradesh President, Mairajuddin Ahmed says, "A delegation of private tour operators met me and they gave me a memorandum on how this Alhind tour operator is getting more than its share of Haj allotments."
Former MP from Kannur, Abdullah Kutty adds, "Some travel agents only see commercial interest. This is the basic issue. I do believe there should be an enquiry."
When asked about the charges of favoring specific Haj tour operators in Kerala, E Ahamed called it political vendetta.
"When the Government decides this quota to be given to someone, that is the Government's prerogative. There is nothing more to it," he says.
But it isn't just the quotas though, Alhind charges much more for its Haj package.
"Our package costs Rs 2.10 lakh. This year the Government's package costs Rs 1.33 lakh," says Biju Varghese.
"They make 25 to 30 per cent profit on every ticket," alleges a Haj devotee Yosuf Haji.
CNN-IBN has learnt that Government may consider an enquiry against Alhind and other operators who have been favoured for quotas. The question is: just how far up will that trail lead, and will the UPA Government have the political will to follow it up and bring to book those who play favourites with people's faith?
HOW THE SYSTEM WORKS
It's a complex system with little transparency. With hundreds of millions of Indian Muslims wanting to go on this pilgrimage of a lifetime, the annual system of allocating Haj quotas is anything but tamper-proof.
- In 2008, the Saudi government gave India a total quota of 1.57 lakh Haj pilgrims
- 1.10 lakh were given to state Haj committee
- 47,000 were given to private tour operators
SHOCKING IMBALANCE OR SIMPLE SCAM?
Allocations for each state are made according to their Muslim populations, but just compare Uttar Pradesh and Kerala.
Uttar Pradesh has a Muslim population of 3.3 crore, Kerala just 75 lakh, yet Uttar Pradesh got a Haj allocation last year of 1,440 while Kerala was awarded 9,245.
UNANSWERED QUESTIONS
1. Why were operators in Kerala favoured over all others during the last five years - during which time the minister of state in charge of Haj allocations was E Ahamed, six time MP from Kerala.
2. Why was one tour operator - Alhind - given special treatment? Alhind tours received 1,700 Haj quotas, while others, on an average just got 155.
3. While the Saudi government guidelines say a maximum of 600 allocations must be given per travel operator, why was Alhind given 1,700 - nearly three times the permissible limit?
(With inputs from Smitha Nair and D P Satish)
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