Why is it in news?

Union Minister for Minority Affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi today said that Saudi Arabia has given the green signal for India’s decision to revive the option of sending Haj pilgrims through sea route also and officials from both the countries will discuss on all the necessary formalities and technicalities so that Haj pilgrimage through sea route can be started in the coming years.

Details

• Shri Naqvi said that sending pilgrims through ships will help cut down travel expenses significantly. “It will be a revolutionary, pro-poor, pilgrim-friendly decision”, ShriNaqvi added. The practice of ferrying Haj pilgrims between Mumbai and Jeddah by waterways was stopped from 1995.
• Another advantage with ships available these days is they are modern and well-equipped to ferry 4,000 to 5,000 persons at a time. They can cover the 2,300-odd nautical miles one-side distance between Mumbai and Jeddah within just 3-4 days. Earlier, the old ships used to take 12 to 15 days to cover this distance.
• For the first time Muslim women from India will go to Haj without “Mehram” (male companion). Separate accommodation and transport has been arranged for these women Haj pilgrims in Saudi Arabia and women “Haj Assistant” will be deployed for their assistance. More than 1300 women have applied to go for Haj without male “Mehram” and all of these women will be exempted from lottery system and allowed to proceed to Haj. Women above 45 years of age, who wish to go for Haj but who don’t have a male companion, are allowed to travel for Haj in groups of 4 or more women according to the new Haj policy of India.
• An option to Haj pilgrims to opt for another embarkation point. This will ensure that there is no financial burden on Haj pilgrims even after removal of Haj subsidy. This decision has received overwhelming response.

Source

PIB