Srinagar, Apr 16 (KNO): Even as around 3,000 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir chose private Hajj Group Operators (HGOs) over the last decade for their annual pilgrimage, private operators are staring at an uncertain future following a drastic reduction in India’s private Hajj quota for 2025.
"Since 2018, around 3,000 pilgrims from J&K have opted each year to undertake the holy journey through private tour operators, except during the pandemic years," reveals the data provided by the Jammu & Kashmir Association of Hajj & Umrah Companies (JKAHUC) to the news agency—Kashmir News Observer (KNO).
However, with the Union government slashing the private Hajj quota from 52,000 to just 10,000 this year, JKAHUC has raised alarm and sought immediate intervention from Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
“In J&K, the trend of performing Hajj through private HGOs has remained steady at around 3,000 pilgrims every year since 2015. The only dip we witnessed was in 2022, right after Covid restrictions were lifted, when only 500 pilgrims booked with us,” Sheikh Feroze, President of JKAHUC, told KNO.
The association fears that the drastic quota cut may result in the cancellation of thousands of already-booked pilgrims, many of whom have paid in full. “This decision has left pilgrims and operators alike in deep uncertainty. We urge the Prime Minister to restore the previous quota and prevent a major crisis,” Feroze said at a press conference in Srinagar on Tuesday.
While the government quota remains intact this year, accommodating around 3,600 pilgrims from Jammu and Kashmir, private operators say they are bearing the brunt of policy changes.
Orientation and vaccination drives for government-quota pilgrims are already underway
National data shows that in 2019, out of 1.39 lakh Indian pilgrims, over 27,000 chose to travel through private HGOs. The trend dipped in 2022 to just over 11,000 private Hajj pilgrims due to pandemic aftermath but rebounded to pre-Covid levels in 2023 and 2024.
Adding to the uncertainty is a temporary suspension of Umrah, tourist and visit visas by Saudi authorities ahead of the Hajj season.
With the Hajj season drawing closer, JKAHUC has appealed to the central government to take swift action to restore the private Hajj quota and avoid a situation where thousands of pilgrims from J&K and elsewhere may be forced to cancel their long-cherished spiritual journey—(KNO)