Kashmiri pilgrims express anger over discrimination in Hajj arrangements by Indian authorities
Srinagar: Hajj pilgrims from Indian illegally occupied Jammu and Kashmir have expressed strong resentment against discrimination and mismanagement by the BJP-led Indian government-constituted Hajj Committee since the very beginning of their pilgrimage.
According to Kashmir Media Service, the IIOJK Hajj pilgrims talking to media men said that their Hajj package was more expensive compared to those offered in Indian states. They questioned why those from IIOJK were assigned a separate local airline arrangement, while pilgrims from India were reportedly being facilitated through international airlines. They also objected to changes in baggage allowance norms.
The pilgrims said that while Haj guidelines permit every pilgrim to carry 40 kg check-in baggage and 7 kg hand luggage, the allowance for Kashmiri pilgrims was reduced to 25 kg plus 7 kg hand luggage. They said they were initially informed that the restriction would apply only to the Srinagar-Madinah flight and that the return baggage allowance would remain unchanged. However, they said they later received another communication stating that the baggage allowance had been further reduced, leading to confusion and distress.
“When we departed from Srinagar, our luggage allowance was reduced, and now, as we prepare to board our return flights, it has been cut even further,” said one pilgrim.
The pilgrims said that they had paid for an international travel package that included a specific baggage entitlements, but were later informed that domestic flight baggage rules would be applied instead. They also noted that the Hajj Committee had announced that most luggage arriving from Ahmedabad to Srinagar would be transported separately by road, while pilgrims would travel by air.
“Why should our luggage be transported by road when we have paid according to international flight norms?” another pilgrim asked, adding that passengers would reach home on time but their luggage could arrive several days later.
Several pilgrims expressed worry that essential items brought from Saudi Arabia, including dates, Zamzam water containers, and other perishable goods, could be damaged or spoiled during transit. They said that despite paying among the highest Hajj package charges in India, they were now being subjected to repeated logistical inconvenience at the final stage of their journey.
The pilgrims described the measures as unfair and discriminatory, saying that they are being denied services for which they had already paid.
Observers said that the situation was yet another example of how Kashmiris under Indian occupation continue to face injustice under the Hindutva RSS/BJP regime’s anti-Muslim policies in the territory.
