Pilgrims' plight

The shortcomings in the arrangements of the previous year is well known and the performance of our Hajj mission in Jeddah last year have been looked into and some of the officials have been called to account. Good! But why is it that lapses continue to occur and the same flaws of the past and some new ones appear and reappear?

Every year a large Hajj mission is dispatched to Jeddah well in advance to make necessary arrangements for our Pilgrims so that they can perform Hajj in some degree of comfort. Those who have been through the process would be aware that it takes a lot out of a person in the three or four weeks that he or she spends at Hajj in Saudi Arabia. And if necessary logistics are not in place many of the rituals of Hajj that need to be performed may well remain unperformed altogether.

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Many procedures are entailed from the time of departure to the time the pilgrims return, that are lengthy and cumbersome at times. And those that are entrusted with the job of helping out the Hajjis in this regard on arrival are, more often than not, nowhere to be found. They are perhaps busy looking after the VIPs and IPs that descend upon Jeddah to perform Hajj.

Admittedly, slip-ups may occur in any arrangement that involves a detailed logistic planning and even more, efficient execution. Looking after several thousand pilgrims cannot be an easy task, but not to be served with one's meal on time is totally unacceptable.

No one that goes for Hajj seeks luxury and comfort while they are there, but what they except is the bare minimum that would allow them to endure the test that Hajj entails.

The least the government can do is to provide this bare minimum.