Click to play videoHyderabad: Millions of Muslims every year make their way to Mecca, Saudi Arabia for the annual Haj, from across the world but this year the number will be lower, because of the H1 N1 flu pandemic.
Saudi Arabia has asked on the elderly, the ill and high-risk groups, including pregnant women, to postpone their pilgrimages. It's a move that will affect some 30,000 Indians.
For this year’s Haj about 1,10,000 pilgrims have already been selected through the Haj Committees in the country and nearly 40,000 would be going to Saudi Arabia through private travel agencies.
All intending pilgrims have already deposited the required money and made other arrangements. Any change in rules at this stage may lead to serious complications.
The age restriction will affect pilgrims below the age of 12 and above 65. India's Haj Committees will have to select nearly 30,000 new pilgrims that fall within the appropriate age group, which could prove to be a tedious process. The Andhra Pradesh State Haj Committee says it is yet to receive any written orders.
“As on today, it appears that there are no written instructions. As soon as written instructions come to us, we will work out a strategy on how to eliminate these people and how to reinduct,” says Andhra Pradesh state Haj Committee secretary and executive officer MA Quddus.
While Arab governments are said to be in agreement on this new swine-flu related directive, clerics here aren't happy saying that it goes against the eligibility criteria of Islam, itself.
"Person of any age may get affected due to swine flu. Haj is compulsory for all Muslims who can afford it, are physically fit and aren’t suffering from any contagious disease,’ says Andhra Pradesh state Haj committee member Hafiz Peer Shabbir.
The first batch of pilgrims is scheduled to depart for Saudi Arabia in the last week of October. With less than three months to go, Indian authorities may find it difficult to select a replacement for ineligible pilgrims. India may not be able to ulitise the full quota of 1,50,000 pilgrims for this year's Haj.
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