MAKKAH, 6 February 2004 — Following the tragedy at Jamrat Bridge, in which 251 pilgrims died and 244 were injured, there were loud claims from a number of quarters that most foreign missions, Mutawwif establishments and even individual pilgrims had been painfully slow in trying to establish the identity of the dead or injured. The exception was the Indian and Pakistani missions whose prompt action has earned them praise from many. Both groups were quick to respond, gathering information about the victims within an hour of the incident so as to be ready to answer the expected barrage of queries from relatives, friends and officials.
Indian Consul General in Jeddah Syed Akbaruddin and the director of Pakistan’s Haj Directorate, Shahid Ali Khan, immediately put their entire teams into action to locate, identify and contact the relatives of the victims. The tragedy had happened at around 9.45 a.m. but the Indian Consul General was able to announce the name of two of the victims with their passport number and places where they came from in India by 11 a.m.
The Pakistan mission acted with similar speed and a few minutes after 11 a.m. had identified and announced the names of five of the Pakistani victims.
The Indian efforts were in stark contrast to those last year, criticized by Arab News at the time as a “debacle”, notably for the failings in acquiring residential quarters for the pilgrims near the holy mosque and the evident lack of coordination by officials. This time Indian officials were determined to set the record straight — and it was reflected in this year’s preparations.
There were over 115,000 Indian pilgrims to look after this time. More than 72,000 had come through the Central Haj Committee and were managed by Indian Haj Mission. The rest had used private tour operators or relied on the help of other Indians, either resident in the Kingdom or elsewhere.
The first point in which the Haj preparation earned the Indian team kudos was that, unlike last year, the Indian mission rented buildings in Makkah that were near the Holy Haram. Most of the 352 buildings taken were in walking distance. Though the rents were a little high, it did not affect the pilgrim. “The pilgrims did not have to pay anything extra,” said Akbaruddin. In Mina all but two camps were quite close to the Jamrat.
Most of the pilgrims, unlike last year, found the accommodation to their liking.
In another move, the mission invited Indian volunteers — largely ignored last year — to join the official Haj operation. It made for better coordination. Abdul Rahman, a volunteer from Makkah and who took part in the Indian Haj operation, said that it was one of the smoothest ever conducted by the Indian mission.
What also impressed the Indian Hajis was the database on the 72,000 pilgrims and the provision of full medical facilities in Makkah, Madinah, Mina and Arafat. These medical centers were equipped to deal with all emergencies — from exhaustion to cardiac arrests.
Akbaruddin said that the database at Mina and the other holy sites provided complete details about all the Indian pilgrims right down to where they would be staying at any point during the Haj, and not just their passport numbers. “That way we could keep tabs on each and every pilgrim.”
The Indian Haj Committee Chairman Tanveer Ahmad was full of praise for the arrangements as was the Ambassador, Kamaluddin Ahmad.
