NEW DELHI: Even as fear of Covid-19, stringent protocols and higher costs involved due to necessary safety arrangements, has so far kept away many prospective applicants from registering for Haj-2021, there are around 500 women without mehram (male companion) who figure on the list of 42,000 odd applicants who meet all the norms.
On Thursday, which was supposed to be the last day for submission of applications, Union minister for minority affairs, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said that applications for Haj 2021 (scheduled for June-July) can now be submitted till January 10.
A tweak in policy two years back enabled for the first time Muslim women above 45 years of age to travel in groups of four or more without mehram for Haj. The number of Muslim women who travelled to Madina in this category was 1,340 in 2018 and 2,340 in 2019. Over the years the maximum applicants have been from Kerala and officials from the Haj committee of India said this year too the maximum number of applications in the ‘without mehram’ category have been from Kerala so far.
Besides these 500 new women applicants more than 2,100 women, who had applied in this category for Haj 2020 but could not go due to the pandemic-imposed travel restrictions, also have the option to travel next year based on their previous application.
For Haj 2020, the Haj committee received nearly 2.15 lakh applications of which 1.40 lakh were approved. However, all approved applicants were reimbursed when the travel for Haj was put off after Saudi Arabia requested India to consider not sending pilgrims in view of the safety concerns arising out of the pandemic.
The age restrictions for applicants wherein those below 18 and those who are 65 years and above cannot apply due to the pandemic is a factor preventing many prospective applicants from registering. Also the cost of Haj due to arrangements to be made related to stay and social distancing in Saudi Arabia and during travelling has gone up.
Naqvi said that after thorough discussions and feedback received from Saudi Arabia, the Embarkation Points-wise estimated cost per Haj pilgrim has been reduced. The estimated cost per Haj pilgrim after reduction is in the range of Rs 3.30 lakh to Rs 4 lakh. During Haj - 2019 the minimum cost was around Rs 2.30 lakh.