Haj: NRI applicants in dilemma

Non-resident Keralites who have become eligible for haj via lottery this year are in a fix because the Central Haj Committee had not allowed them sufficient time to present their passports.

The deadline for selected pilgrims to submit the passport is 15 April.

If expatriates travel to India for this, they will not be able to come over to India, travel with their family for haj and then travel back to the countries where they work to join duty. And the period from 15 April till the end of Haj, presumably in end-August at the earliest, is too long for them to keep away from work. In effect that would force expatriates to choose between haj and job.

It may be recalled that last year the similar deadline was 5 July, which for last year's haj date was a reasonable timeline, and pilgrims were able to come to India and then take their accompanying pilgrims in time.

Most Gulf countries, where the majority of such applicants work, will allow residents there only a limited duration of stay abroad. Further a major segment of them who will be in regular service with the government or private employers will not be granted a leave for that long a period.