The minister for minority affairs of government of India, Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi has said that 100 pc digital/online Haj process in India has been achieved to fulfill the dream of ‘Ease of Doing Haj’ for the Indian Muslims. About 200,000 Indian Muslims will do Haj this year.

It comes as a rare attempt from government of India as far as outbound travel from India is concerned. The outbound travel and tourism industry has a longstanding complain that they do not get enough support from government of India as much the inbound operators get. The inbound operators and state tourism boards keep getting the advantage of various central schemes to attract foreign tourists and as well as enhance domestic inter-state tourist traffic.

Over the years, the apex bodies of the outbound tour operators have discussed on various issues faced by them and came to a conclusion that if government of India interfered in certain matters with strict regulations, things would have been different and better than now as far as outbound travel from India is concerned.

However, by addressing the sacred Haj pilgrimage issue, the government has virtually taken care of a large amount of seasonal outbound travel from India, bound to Saudi Arabia and surrounding destinations including the UAE, Oman, Bahrain, Qatar and Egypt. There are many Haj pilgrims who take a short or long detour after their sacred pilgrimage is complete.

Naqvi said that the reforms taken by the government has ensured that while on one hand, the entire Haj process has been made digital and transparent, on the other hand Haj has become affordable. He further said that making the entire Haj process 100 pc digital/online has removed middlemen ensuring Haj pilgrimage become affordable in comparison to last several decades. Even after removal of Haj subsidy, no additional financial burden has been put on the pilgrims, he added.

He further added that India has become the first country in the entire world which has made the entire Haj 2020 process 100 pc digital. Online application, e-visa, Haj mobile app, ‘E-MASIHA’ health facility, ‘E-luggage pre-tagging’ providing all information in India itself regarding the accommodation/transportation in Makkah-Madinah have been provided to Indian Muslims going for Haj. For the first time facilities have been provided for digital pre-tagging of baggage of pilgrims. This will ensure the Indian pilgrims will get information in India itself about building along with the room allotted to the pilgrims and transportation like details of bus to be taken by the pilgrims after reaching the airport in Saudi Arabia.

Even the SIM cards have been linked to mobile app which will ensure that Haj pilgrims immediately get all the latest information regarding Haj in Makkah-Madina on their mobile phones. While on one hand health card is being provided to Indian Haj pilgrims in the country, on the other hand “E-MASIHA” (E-Medical Assistance System for Indian Pilgrims Abroad), an online system to create and maintain the complete health database of Indian pilgrims along with doctors’ prescriptions, medical treatment as well as medicine disbursal, has been developed to deal any emergency in Makkah-Madinah.

Commenting on this, Gazanfar Ibrahim, the managing director and chief marketing officer of Fairfest Media, the organiser of Islamic Travel Mart, the only marketplace and meeting point for the Islamic travel industry in India said, “Completely digitising the whole Haj process will bring in a paradigm shift for the Haj pilgrims from India in terms of sheer convenience, availability of all important and vital information regarding travel and accommodation etc, as well as safety and security.”

Naqvi also mentioned that Haj Group Organisers (HGOs) have also been connected with 100 pc digital system which has ensured transparency in their functioning and it has also ensured better facilities to Indian Haj pilgrims. For the first time, a portal of HGOs has been developed which contains all the details of HGOs and their packages etc.

Amin Asghar, the director of Kolkata-based travel company A & A Travel Zone said, “It is an excellent initiative and very important update for operators like us who deal with a large number of Umrah pilgrims throughout the year and wish to obtain the Haj licence via proper channel. More we go digital, faster the process becomes and it helps us handle our clients seamlessly. It will also help us track our clients’ movements and assist them in any emergency.”

The minister said that the Indian government, in coordination and cooperation with the Saudi government, Indian consulate and various concerned agencies in Saudi Arabia, is working to ensure safety and better facilities, medical facilities for the pilgrims during Haj 2020.

In 2020, a total of 200,000 Indian Muslims will travel to Haj and that too without any subsidy. About 123,000 Indian Muslims will go through the Haj Committee of India and the remaining will travel with various Haj Group Organisers. This year more than 2,100 Muslim women will go to Haj without any ‘mehram’ (male companion).