Sharp decline in Haj applications

MALAPPURAM: The applications for the annual Haj pilgrimage from Kerala have declined sharply this year when the deadline ended on Friday. The Kerala State Haj Committee received around 69,000 applications for next year’s Haj. The sharp decline from this year’s 95,235 is the impact of the latest Haj policy of the union government which stripped five-time applicants of the benefit of direct selection.  

“The decline in numbers is due to the Haj policy. We have challenged it in the Supreme Court and are expecting a favourable ruling next month,” said Thodiyur Muhammed Kunhi Musliyar, Chairman of the state Haj panel. “The union government has no justifications as not even a single Haj panel has objected to the direct selection norm for five-time applicants. This was most beneficial for the low income applicants who got five years time to prepare for the pilgrimage,” he said.

The priority given to the applicants who unsuccessfully applied five times consecutively was beneficial for the majority of applicants who preferred to go under the government Haj panel. The Gujarat Haj Committee and Association of Five Time Applicants of Kerala have also approached the Supreme Court questioning the policy which allegedly helps private travel groups and have demanded that the status quo be maintained. The pleas are under the consideration of the three judge bench headed by Chief Justice Deepak Mishra. The next hearing is on Jan. 4.  The Haj committee had also initiated efforts to bring back the embarkation point to Calicut International Airport in Karipur from 2018, the chairman said.