As one passes by the main road opposite Public Gardens at Nampally, the site has been all too familiar for the past couple of weeks with the Haj House teeming with activity, as pilgrims arrive throughout the day to complete formalities and then board flights to Saudi Arabia for the pilgrimage.
However, thanks to the upcoming elections in 2014, the situation has turned more political with banners and flexis of all political parties adorning every wall, railing and gate near the building to cash in on the situation through publicity.
While it may not sound like much, the presence of politicians and party workers, who also double as volunteers, is only making it harder for civil activists and volunteers from NGOs to do their job. Many of them at the Haj House complain that they are having to handle pilgrims and also ensure things pass smoothly whenever a politician arrives.
“Political parties have their own workers and they manage to get ID cards as volunteers, but they do not do much. Their bosses come, deliver speeches, wave flags and then bid adieu to the pilgrims,” said Mohammed Najeeb, a volunteer from Peace for Society.
“Moreoever, we are here in shifts. From my organisation, there are 127 people and we work on rotations. At times, when our work is appreciated by pilgrims, or even by the police, it does not go down well with the workers from political parties,” he claimed.
Unlike Najeeb, other volunteers were not so vocal about the issue when Express spoke to them. “All that the workers from parties do is to propagate themselves or their leaders,” pointed out one volunteer.
Abdul Waheed (name changed), also pointed out that while political banners are not allowed inside the building, they are present everywhere. “Some are inconspicuous. They have information related to Haj, but at the same time, what is the need to have photos of political leaders on them? The number of banners outside has also increased this year. They have even put some on the metro work railings in the middle of the road,” he said.
When contacted, SA Shukoor, special officer, Haj committee, said that he had not received any such complaint from volunteers. “All the banners are outside the premises, except two.
One is of the chief minister, while another one is of the minister concerned for minorities,” he stated and claimed that this year the number of banners outside also has reduced compared to last year.