Over 600 Karnataka, 36 Kashmiri Umrah pilgrims stranded in Saudi
More than 600 Umrah pilgrims from Karnataka and 36 from Kashmir remain stranded in Saudi Arabia amid flight disruptions, with concerns mounting over their access to accommodation, food and essential medicines.
In a letter posted on X on Friday, October 23, Karnataka Chief Minister DK Shivakumar urged External Affairs Minister S Jaishankar to intervene to facilitate the safe and early return of the stranded pilgrims from the state.
“I wish to draw your urgent attention to the difficult circumstances faced by over 600 Umrah pilgrims from Karnataka who are stranded in the holy cities of Makkah and Madina in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, following the suspension of return flights to Bengaluru and other parts of India amid the escalating security situation in the Middle East,” Shivakumar wrote.
The chief minister said the chairman of the Karnataka State Haj Committee and his team had recently visited the holy cities and reported that many pilgrims had exhausted their financial resources. Some hotels were reportedly asking pilgrims to vacate their rooms, leaving elderly people, women and children particularly vulnerable.
Shivakumar said assistance from Indian and Karnataka voluntary organisations in Saudi Arabia was insufficient to meet the needs of everyone affected.
He called on the Ministry of External Affairs to coordinate with Indian diplomatic missions, Saudi authorities and airlines to arrange the pilgrims’ return, including special flights where necessary. He also sought interim assistance until they could travel home.
The Karnataka government, he added, was ready to cooperate with the authorities to facilitate their safe return.
36 Kashmiri pilgrims face mounting financial difficultiesSeparately, 36 Kashmiri Umrah pilgrims are awaiting a way home after their scheduled IndiGo return flight was cancelled. The group of 50 left Srinagar on September 25, with their return flight scheduled for October 13. The remaining 14 pilgrims arranged alternative travel and returned to India via Dubai, according to a United News of India (UNI)
Waqar Mir, a member of the stranded group, said alternative routes through Dubai, Muscat or Kuwait were prohibitively expensive, with tickets from Jeddah costing more than Rs 1 lakh per person.
Unable to afford the fares, several pilgrims have reportedly borrowed money to cover their daily expenses. Mir also expressed concern about elderly members running short of essential medicines, which he said were expensive in Saudi Arabia and often required prescriptions from local doctors.
He added that some members had experienced anxiety and panic attacks as the uncertainty continued.
The pilgrims said their attempts to secure assistance from their tour operator and Indian authorities had not yet resulted in affordable travel arrangements.
Meanwhile, the Jammu and Kashmir government has expressed concern over pilgrims from the Union Territory stranded in Saudi Arabia. In a statement posted on X on Saturday, October 24, the Office of the Chief Minister said the government was actively coordinating with the Ministry of External Affairs to facilitate their safe and early return.
It reaffirmed the government’s commitment to taking all necessary measures to ensure their safe and expedited repatriation and to providing continued support to the pilgrims and their families.
On Friday, October 23, Union Minority Affairs Minister Kiren Rijiju said stranded Indian Umrah pilgrims were returning home safely, while those still awaiting their return were being assisted. He also shared helpline details for the Indian Embassy in Riyadh and the Consulate General of India in Jeddah.
Earlier, AIMIM president and Hyderabad MP Asaduddin Owaisi appealed for around 4,000 Indian pilgrims stranded in Makkah and Madinah after IndiGo, Akasa Air and Air India cancelled flights. He urged the Directorate General of Civil Aviation to allow larger aircraft or arrange special flights to bring them home.
The flight disruptions followed attacks by Yemen’s Houthi rebels on Saudi airports earlier in October.
Get the latest updates in Hyderabad City News, Technology, Entertainment, Sports, Politics and Top Stories on WhatsApp