MAKKAH, 28 December 2006 — India takes great pride in its association with Saudi Arabia and the large contingent of nearly 157,000 pilgrims goes to prove the excellent relationship that the two countries enjoy, according to India’s Minister of State for External Affairs E. Ahamed.

“By describing India as his second home, Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah has bestowed a rare honor on Indians,” Ahamed said addressing a crowded press conference at Makkah’s Ajyad Hotel yesterday. The goodwill Haj mission that he is leading aims to build up on this burgeoning relationship, he added.

The minister paid glowing tributes to the Indian diaspora which, he said, played an excellent role in helping the two countries get closer. “Saudi Arabia has treated Indians with respect and, thanks to their jobs in Saudi Arabia, a lot of them are making a positive contribution back home.”

The federal government has decided to constitute an expert committee to look into all aspects of organization of the annual pilgrimage for Indians, he said referring to the controversy surrounding accommodation problems for some pilgrims in Makkah.

“Let me make it very clear that I have nothing to do with the selection of buildings,” Ahamed said. “Representatives of the Haj Committee of India (HCI), which is the central body, and the state Haj committees oversee the hiring and leasing of buildings. However, the government will see to it that all procedures are streamlined.”

The problems were aggravated because of the last-minute addition of 10,000 pilgrims to the quota. The number of applicants who applied for Haj through the HCI was 150,000 and the government wanted to accommodate as many pilgrims as possible.

“While some pilgrims are complaining about accommodation problems, one should not lose sight of the fact that many more are able to perform Haj this time,” the minister said.

By providing the Haj subsidy, which runs into millions of rupees, the Indian federal government has demonstrated its commitment to Muslims, he said. “This is just one aspect of the Manmohan Singh government’s affection toward the country’s minority Muslim community.”

HCI Chairman Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi, who was present, faced a barrage of questions from the journalists who grilled him on the poor state of accommodation for nearly 19,000 Category-1 pilgrims. Saradgi said it was clearly mentioned in the application form that in the event of a lack of accommodation in Makkah, the pilgrims category would be downgraded and the money reimbursed to them.

“However, I agree that not every pilgrim was informed of his/her accommodation before leaving for Saudi Arabia. Next year, we’ll ensure that every pilgrim is told about his exact accommodation status before he leaves for the Kingdom,” Saradgi said.

Both Ahamed and Indian Consul General Ausaf Sayeed pointed out to the huge construction activity that was going on in Makkah and said all the buildings that used to be hired before had been demolished in recent years. As a result, there are not many accommodations available in the close vicinity of the Holy Mosque.

Ahamed had a word of appreciation for the Haj management under the Consulate General of India.

“They have done a commendable job despite the constraints,” he said. “The fact that they have been awarded EN ISO 9001-2000 Certification is testimony to the excellent track record they have maintained in the management of Haj pilgrims.”

The certificate comes as an endorsement of the excellent management rendered by the Indian Haj Mission in Jeddah, Makkah and Madinah in the administrative, medical and welfare fields in the service of the Indian pilgrims. The Indian Haj Management is the biggest operation handled by the Ministry of External Affairs, outside the Indian borders. It is a very complex exercise since it involves extensive coordination between various agencies in India and abroad. Indian pilgrims come from 30 different states and union territories and most of them speak only regional languages and belong to rural areas. This makes the Indian Haj Management very unique and extraordinarily challenging.

Meanwhile, three control rooms have been set up to ensure coordination and provide information during the days of Haj. These are set up in Makkah, Mina and Jeddah. The control room telephone numbers — Mina: 557-2710, 556-3544, 556-3944, Fax: 559-2528; Makkah: 575-8214, 575-8218, 575-8231, Fax: 575-8216, 575-8231; and Jeddah: Tel: 653-3032, 651-0514, 652-0084, Fax: 653-3032, 652-0084