Hyderabad: The Hyderabad airport administration has issued a clarification stating that Haj pilgrims will depart alongside general passengers, with the provision of four special counters for their convenience in the international terminal. There will be no dedicated Haj Terminal at the Hyderabad Airport.
The decision has left many Haj pilgrims disappointed. Last year, the dedicated Haj terminal was unavailable due to ongoing expansion work at the Hyderabad international airport. However, even for Haj 2023, pilgrims will not be departing from a separate terminal. Instead, they will be accommodated with international passengers.
Since the formation of Telangana, the Muslim population in the state has increased, but so have instances of injustice and neglect towards them. Prior to the formation of Telangana, K Chandrasekhar Rao had promised 12 percent reservation for Muslims. His party, the Telangana Rashtra Samiti, had even approached the court to protect the Lanco Hills land from illegal occupation. The then MLC Mohammad Mahmood Ali, who currently serves as the state home minister, had pledged to build a mosque in the parking lot of Shamsabad International Airport.
However, after the formation of Telangana, the ruling BRS government claimed the disputed land of Lanco Hills as state Revenue Department property, disregarding the Waqf Board. Similarly, the promised mosque in the parking lot of Shamsabad Airport was never constructed, and the special Haj terminal established in 2008 has been abolished.
Since the formation of Telangana, special facilities previously provided to Muslims in different areas of the state have gradually been eliminated. The silence of the state government and relevant institutions only reinforces the perception that the BRS government is distancing itself from the Muslim community.
Telangana Chief Minister K Chandrasekhar Rao’s lack of interest in minority institutions, particularly the Haj Committee, is evident. His last visit to the Haj House as Chief Minister was in 2017 when he sent off a group of pilgrims ahead of the state assembly elections in 2018. It is expected that he will make another appearance to bid farewell to the pilgrims this year, considering that elections to the Telangana State Assembly may be announced soon.
Before the formation of Telangana, former Chief Ministers N. Chandrababu Naidu, Dr. Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, Dr. K. Rosaiah, and Kiran Kumar Reddy used to visit the Haj House every year during their tenure to send off pilgrims.
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