CHENNAI: Tamil Nadu Chief Minister MK Stalin on Thursday urged Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi to take action to re-designate Chennai as an embarkation point for pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states for the Hajj this year.
The Chief Minister, in his letter to the Union Minister, pointed out that every year more than 4,000 pilgrims from Chennai proceed on the Hajj pilgrimage to Saudi Arabia. Direct Haj flights were operated from Chennai to Jeddah and back from 1987 till 2020, benefiting the pilgrims of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Puducherry, Andaman & Nicobar and Lakshadweep Islands. The Chief Minister had already brought this issue to the notice of Prime Minister Narendra Modi through his letter dated November 11 last.
During Hajj 2019, more than 4,500 pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states proceeded on the Hajj pilgrimage from Chennai. The Haj Committee of India had informed that due to the Covid-19 pandemic, the embarkation points have been reduced from 21 to 10 and that Kochi has been designated as an embarkation point for pilgrims from Tamil Nadu and neighbouring states.
“Pilgrims from Tamil Nadu are now made to travel more than 700 km to Kochi for their pilgrimage facing hardships and incurring additional costs. Further, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia has relaxed all Covid related restrictions for international pilgrims,” he said. Hence, the reduction in the number of embarkation points can be reconsidered. Several representations have been received from members of the Islamic community in this regard.