Women who are now undertaking the Hajj without a Mehram have complained to the government about the lack of basic services, like clean lodgings, enough transportation, and a Khadim to guide them through the rituals.
As reported by the news agency, a group of Kashmiri women complained that they have been left to fend for themselves in Azizia, a town located nearly 14 kilometres from Harram Shareef, despite assurances that special facilities and arrangements would be made for them.
One pilgrim complained, “We were told that the accommodation will be close to the Harram Shareef, but we have been given accommodation nearly 14 kilometres away,” adding that there have been no medical and other facilities available for them, and that she had to buy even a’strepsil’ from the market.
According to her, “most of the women, who are performing Hajj for the first time without Mehram are suffering from different health issue, but unfortunately there is no one to help them out and even the wheeler chairs are being managed by the fellow pilgrims to them,” despite the fact that they have paid a considerable sum for the specialised facilities.
She further said that the female Khadims who were assigned to instruct the female pilgrims in the ‘Arkans’ of Hajj had not shown up even once.
Most of the ladies don’t know how to read or write, much alone speak Urdu. Who is going to be leading them? Who will be their educators? She then asked, “How will they perform Hajj?”
As a group, the female pilgrims warned that they would make their voices heard if their concerns were not addressed and that they would never recommend that anybody go to Mecca without Mehram.
According to Dr. Shujaat Ahmad Qureshi, Executive Officer of the Jammu and Kashmir Hajj Committee (JKHC), a coordinator has been assigned to each facility to assist pilgrims.
Khadims have been appointed, and instruction will begin shortly. But if the pilgrims are having problems, they should go to the organiser about it, he said.
The women’s organisation, however, claims that no one has been assigned to serve as a coordinator for them.
