Al Haqeeqa
Dr. Liaqat Ali Afaqi seeing off a 99-year old women for Hajj at IGIA Delhi
New Delhi
The first batch of Indians who left for Saudi Arabia to perform Hajj from New Delhi’s Indira Gandhi International Airport (IGIA) included 99-year-old Hajan Asghari and 98-year-old Chandri, a resident of Haryana’s Nuh district.
Dr. Liaqat Ali Afaqi, Director of the Ministry of Minority Affairs who is also the CEO of the Haj Committee of India presented the travel documents to the two elderly Hajj pilgrims and also saw them off at the IGIA.
Dr Afaqi appreciated the spirit and devotion of the two women and presented them with a shawl and a bouquet while wishing them a safe journey. He asked the pilgrims to pray for the safety of Indian Hajjis and the development and peace of India.
It should be noted that under the patronage and supervision of the Ministry of Minority Affairs, and Hajj committee 48,986 Indian pilgrims have reached Saudi Arabia safely through 161 flights so far. The Indians include 32,313 people putting up in Madinah and 16,673 in Makkah.
So far, 241 Indian Hajj volunteers have also reached Saudi Arabia to help and guide the pilgrims. It may be noted that out of the total 1,75,025 pilgrims from India, 1,40,020 are traveling through the arrangements made by the Hajj Committee of India. They will travel to Makkah and Madinah from May 8 by various airlines.
The Indian pilgrims can board flights to Jeddah from 19 embarkation points till June 9, 2024.
Dr. Liaqat Ali Afaqi said that India is the only country in the world that has the facility of Hajj kitchen in Saudi Arabia. He also warned pilgrims against its misuse and careless handling.
Dr. Afaqi appealed to the pilgrims not to fall prey to rumours and propaganda. He also asked the Indians not to feel hassled by the rules of the Saudi government. He advised them to ignore ‘smaller irritants” as they must remember they are on a pilgrimage and in another country which has its set of rules.
“Some people will try to mislead you and divert you from the original purpose by sharing old videos. All of you must be careful to ignore these,” he said.
