Call to revamp the distribution of Haj quotas and make the pilgrimage affordable :

Haj Quota conundrum

by Naalir Jamaldeen

Though the Haj season is several months away, the clamour to make the pilgrimage affordable to all Muslims is reaching a crescendo, with Central Province, Provincial Council Member Azath Salley, demanding that the Government set up a special committee to deal with the issue.

Haj, a pilgrimage to Mecca during Dhu'l Hijja, considered obligatory for every Muslim who is capable of undertaking it at least once in his or her life, has become too expensive for the average Sri Lankan Muslim. Every year the cost of the 10-day pilgrimage has been escalating and now stands somewhere between Rs 400,000 and Rs 600,000.

Salley who is demanding that the Government play bigger role in streamlining the process to make the pilgrimage more affordable, pointed out that there had been a Haj Committee in the past and that it had been the responsibility of the Committee to handle the pilgrims. "Now such a committee is functional in India," he said pointing out that the Indian Government, through the Committee, provides all incentives to the pilgrims

Salley said he along several Muslim leaders had brought the matter to the attention of President Maithripala Sirisena, who had subsequently instructed Salley and Parliamentarian Faizer Mustapha to study matter and recommend the necessary changes.

Charging that the Haj pilgrimage has been commercialized and the charges have drastically increased, he said mediation and the assistance of the Government were crucial to rectify the situation. He was confident if things were streamlined, pilgrims could be sent on Haj at a reasonable fare of Rs 350,000.

"We plans to send 1,000 persons to Haj at the lowest cost of Rs 350,000 by getting incentives from the Government," he confided, claiming that in the interim, Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs and Post, M.H.A. Haleem, had written to the Saudi Minister of Haj requesting an appointment to discuss the Haj quota related problems.

Government incentives

"There are over 95 Haj travel operators in Sri Lanka. Nothing can be done by increasing the number of Haj travel operators without taking proper action to solve this problem," Salley said, pointing out that a quota of 2,200 cannot be distributed among all operators.

Hajj pilgrims

Demanding that the government should formulate plans to help even the poorest Sri Lankan Muslim perform Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam, Salley alleged that some of the operators who are given Haj quotas sell them to other Haj operators at higher price, deeming the Haj a religious obligation that should not be commercialised.

Sri Lanka sent, 6,500 pilgrims, its highest number, in 2010 when the entire cost of the pilgrimage was Rs 320,000. Sally claimed that the Haj quote, which was reduced since then had not be increased.

Minister of Muslim Religious Affairs and Post, M.H.A. Haleem, said there were some positive signs from Saudi Arabia about increasing quotas to Sri Lanka, but said so far no delegation had been sent Saudi Arabia to discuss the Haj pilgrimage related matters.

"I was to go to Saudi Arabia, but due to the problem in Yemen the Saudi Authorities cancelled all appointments to foreign delegates," he said, but added that during his visit to Saudi Arabia to attend the funeral of Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdulaziz, he held discussions with Saudi Haj Minister to get more quotas to Sri Lanka.

Haj quotas

"In 2010, the Saudi Government gave Sri Lanka a quote of 6,500, but later Haj quotas to all countries were reduced because of the development works on the Holy Ka'aba," he said, claiming that he was trying to get an appointment to meet the Saudi Haj Minister a through Sri Lankan Ambassador in the Saudi Arabia.

Meanwhile, Commissioner of the Department Inland Revenue and the former Haj Committee member N.M.M. Mifly, said he has sent a letter to the Minister and Secretary, Ministry of Muslim Religious Affairs and Post, claiming that the Haj quota system is grossly abused by most of the Haj travel operators who make unreasonable profits because of the limited number of quotas given to Sri Lanka.

The letter alleges that the present Haj quota system caters to the Haj travel operators who run the service for money making. "As there is excess demand over the supply of Haj quotas, the innocent pilgrims who saved money to go on Haj are mercilessly treated by the travel operators. While some operators are willing and taking pilgrims for about Rs 400,000/, some others charge more than Rs. 700, 000," he noted in the letter.

Mifly has also made several recommendations to minimize the irregularities of the Haj Travel Operators (HTO) and maximize the benefits to the Haj pilgrims.

These include:

The Muslim Cultural Affairs Department (MCAD) should supervise and monitor the HTOs in terms of the guidelines issued by it, MCAD should evaluate and select the HTO annually through conducting interviews and other suitable procedures, the approved HTO should be published in the national papers, instead of assigning quotas to HTO, the market forces should be allowed to decide the HTO, the pilgrims should be given the choice to select from the approved HTO on the basis of competitive facilities given including fares, MCAD would supervise and monitor the HTO whether they keep their promises given to pilgrims and HTO who were found guilty of cheating and abusing Haj pilgrims should be blacklisted or downgraded, he said.

Mifly, who had been a member of the Haj Committee for the past two years, accused Haj Travel Operators on earn unreasonable incomes from Haj pilgrims An operator earns more than Rs 100,000 from each pilgrim, he said, adding that at most there are 95 Haj Travel Operators in Sri Lanka and all Haj pilgrims have to go through them. "The Haj Travel Operators charge from upto Rs. 600,000 from each pilgrim. Because there is no competition, whether the pilgrim is willing or not, he or she has to pay the asked amount, if he or she is to perform Haj," he has stated in the letter.

Commenting on the lack of competition, he has stated, Haj pilgrims should be given the option of choosing his travel operator based on the facilities on offer rather than the availability of the quota. "Then a competition will arise among the Haj travel operators forcing them to reduce the fares in order to make it more competitive," he pointed out, adding, "If there is competition the travel operators will try to reduce the charges and give more facilities to the pilgrims.

If such a mechanism was introduced a pilgrim will be able to go on Haj at a reasonable fare of Rs. 375,000 to Rs. 400,000."