JEDDAH, 1 June 2007 — The chairman of India’s Central Haj Committee says introduction of transparency in all aspects of Haj operations will be his top priority. Iqbal Ahmed Saradgi, committee chief since late last year, hopes to create a more efficient process that is both fair and just.

“There should be transparency in the entire mechanism — in the selection of buildings, in transportation and in the selection of pilgrims. The entire system needs to be transparent and it will be,” Saradgi told Arab News. Allegations of rampant corruption have been frequently leveled against the committee in the past.

A law graduate from Osmania University, Saradgi, who represents Gulbarga in the Parliament, is a veteran Congress politician. He noted the appointment of an expert committee by the central government, which consists of all the living former Indian ambassadors to Saudi Arabia.

“One of the terms of reference of that committee is the introduction of transparency in the process,” he said. “The expert committee will submit its report shortly. Based on that report and on my experience from last year, we will see to it that the whole operation is made transparent.”

Saradgi promised high-tech changes in the CHC’s functioning. “For example, when we invite applications for the selection of the pilgrims, that process is now being computerized. This has previously been done by hand, and with anything that is done that way, there is a possibility of manipulation. The list of applicants should — and will henceforth — be posted on the website.”

When the number of Haj applicants exceeds the quota allocated by the Saudi government, that is when problems creep up. “For the last two years, we have received more applications than the allotted quota. We, therefore, resorted to a drawing of lots. Also we have proportionate distribution of the quota among different states. If, for instance, in one state the quota is 6,000 and we receive 9,000 applications, then there is no other alternative but to draw lots. Thus we want a computerized system so that the drawing is fair.”

Saradgi wants every pilgrim to know accommodation details before heading to Saudi Arabia. “They should be aware of their flight number, their accommodations in Makkah and Madinah, their transportation and the category that has been allotted to them.”

He admitted there was huge confusion last year. “Our pilgrims were very angry because they didn’t get the category allotted to them. Although it was very clearly mentioned in the form that the category could be changed at the last minute because of non-availability of accommodation, most pilgrims do not read through the entire form. In most cases, their forms are filled by either Haj agents or relatives,” said Saradgi.

“When they arrived in Makkah and found their categories downgraded, they were very upset. So yes there was discontentment last year, and it upset us all. Now our task is that if there is going to be a downgrading, this should be and will be made clear to the pilgrim before he arrives in Saudi Arabia. That way, they will be mentally prepared,” he said.

About Saudi authorities’ repeated complaints of lack of orientation among Indian pilgrims, Saradgi said: “The majority of our pilgrims come from rural areas, and they have no idea about the topography and the daunting rituals demanded of them. If we had proper orientation, half of the complaints would vanish.”

The Central Haj Committee, he said, has begun paying serious attention to the task of orientation. “For the first time, we have come out with a monthly Haj magazine in Urdu and already two issues have been published. Through the magazine, we plan to disseminate relevant information to pilgrims.”

Saradgi hopes to produce a documentary film on Haj. “I want a film that will be broadcast by all Urdu channels in the country. The film would explain all aspects of Haj and how the pilgrims should prepare themselves, including how much luggage they should carry. Film is the best medium, and it is the easiest way of explaining the complex rituals in a short time.”

According to Saradgi, all talk of scrapping the current system and replacing it with a new one suggested by some Muslim leaders is unwise. “The Central Haj Committee was formed under an act of Parliament. The suggestion that Muslims should have their own trust to deal with Haj affairs, I don’t think it is viable.”

The Haj committee chief feels India’s comparison with Malaysia in the context of Haj operations is far-fetched. “I know there is this talk of having a system like that of Malaysia’s Tabung Haji, but then we cannot compare ourselves to Malaysia. It is a small country. How many pilgrims do they send each year? Ours is a well-established system. It has been in place for decades. If there are defects in this system, then let us rectify them. We can modify this system rather than completely scrapping it.”