A recurring problem

A recurring problem

Indonesia sent 165,000 haj pilgrims to Mecca this year -- a
25 percent increase from last year. By the end of the century the
number is expected to reach 200,000, which is far beyond the
allocation set by the government of Saudi Arabia: one per million
Indonesians.

The increase, apparently made possible by an improved economy,
means that the government will face a tougher task from year to
year. The problem of sending Moslems to perform the sixth basic
tenet of Islam is how to arrange their transportation within a
limited period, to bring them together to perform a ritual at the
same time spot at the same time, together with millions of others
who come from various corners of the globe.

In addition there is the problem of providing them with
satisfactory accommodations, of serving them with healthy food
both at the haj centers here and in the Holy Land and take care
of their health. And since the number of pilgrims in the future
will surely exceed the quota set by the Saudi government,
Indonesia has also to find ways to overcome those problems. The
problem is not easy because for every Moslem the haj pilgrimage
also has sentimental value.

Garuda, the national carrier, seems to be convinced that it
can handle transportation by itself and the Minister of
Transpiration has rejected the idea of letting private airlines
take part in the business. The minister's statement must have
been received as a big relief for the state-owned airline company
because transporting such a great number of people from one of
the countries located furthest from Saudi Arabia every year is no
small task, although private airlines might ask the government
why they are not allowed to join the business.

Every year we have been shocked to hear of the number of
pilgrims who die there. And this year the news about the death
toll is even more dismal. According the Ministry of Religious
Affairs 632 pilgrims died this year, although the weather was
less severe compared to that in previous years. The high toll
might have been caused by the physical condition of pilgrims of
advanced age because health services are said to be good.

Whatever the case may be, to reduce the number of fatalities
it is necessary for the haj organizers to once in a while check
the food at the local haj centers, its nutritious aspects and
quality, because at the Jakarta haj center, for example, pilgrims
come from as far as Lampung in South Sumatra and Central Java, by
bus. After a 24-hour rest they have to leave for Jeddah, from
where many of them have to proceed to Medina on an eight-hour bus
trip. The people who experience this strenuous journey seriously
need good food.

Many pilgrims have also said that the haj organizers should
find better accommodation in Mecca, where the pilgrims remain for
approximately 22 of their 40-day stay in Saudi Arabia. But the
demand seems to be a far cry from becoming reality since the
government has said that for the present fare of Rp 6.9 million
(US3,280) no better accommodation is available.

So how can now the Ministry of Religious Affairs try to lower
the haj fare? Many of the pilgrims come from the less privileged
groups of our society. Many people believe that only Garuda can
reduce the fare. The government has said that airfare is high in
this country because each pilgrim has to pay two return fares
since the planes that take them to the Holy Land have to return
home empty while to take them back from Saudi Arabia the planes
leave Indonesia empty. On the other hand, it is a fact that
Garuda just picks up the pilgrims right at the tarmac and does
not have to spend money on promotional activities.

But above all, the haj business should be run transparently
because it deals with so many people every year and the whole
nation is interested in the operations.