An inquiry has been sought into the disappearance of around 100 pilgrims hailing from the Indian state of West Bengal, who went missing here after the Haj which ended last month. “We have brought the case to the notice of the Indian government,” B.S. Mubarak, Consul Haj and Head of Chancery at the Indian Consulate in Jeddah, told the Saudi Gazette, Friday. The last flight for Kolkata, the capital of West Bengal state, left Jeddah on Dec. 5. All these missing pilgrims are from the city of Murshidabad, and their whereabouts in Saudi Arabia are not known, said Mubarak. The matter was raised in the Indian parliament also where Moinul Hassan, a Communist Party of India (Marxist) member, sought action against the “irresponsible behavior” of the national and state Haj committees. According to sources, these pilgrims – most of whom were physically disabled – had arrived here on Haj visas with the sole intention of begging. After Haj they were either caught by the police while begging and put behind bars or have gone into hiding. To curb the exploitation of Haj and Umrah visas for begging, the Saudi Ministry of Haj earlier this year issued a circular to all Haj and Umrah companies to turn down visa applications from elderly and disabled persons physically incapable of performing pilgrimage rites. Chief Executive Officer of India's Central Haj Committee (CHC) Shakir Hussain has reportedly called for an inquiry into the matter, putting the blame on the West Bengal State Haj Committee and the Kolkatta-based Regional Passport Office (RPO). “It is a matter of concern how so many handicapped pilgrims were allowed to go to Saudi Arabia from Kolkatta,” he was quoted as saying by an Indian newspaper. Mubarak, however, says that it is difficult to ascertain the intention of a pilgrim and check his or her physical condition from the application. There are 21 embarkation points in India for Haj pilgrims. In most of the states Haj applications exceed the number of quotas, said Mubarak. But in some states – like West Bengal – the number of applications falls below the quota. So every applicant gets a Haj visa, the Haj Consul added. Shakir Hussain and Vice Chairman of CHC Hassan Ahmed have reportedly asked for a probe into the involvement of an organized syndicate suspected of sending physically challenged people on pilgrimage for begging. __
