‘And pilgrimage to the House (Ka’bah) is a duty unto Allah for mankind,

for him who can find a way thither.’ (Quran: 3- 97)

As with other things, the ongoing corona virus pandemic has cast its shadow on the Haj 2020 as well. The annual pilgrimage which is commencing from Wednesday (July 29) will be a dramatically scaled down affair this time. Just a handful of pilgrims – 1000 from 160 countries – have been selected to perform Haj this year. Of this 70 percent pilgrims are expats living in the kingdom. This has obviously put paid to the hopes of lakhs of Muslims who are eagerly looking forward to undertake the journey of a lifetime. Last year about 2.5 million worshippers from all over the world took part in the pilgrimage.

About 2 lakh Indians travel to Saudi Arabia every year for Haj through the Haj Committee of India and private tour operators. And it is no different this year. Even as speculation was rife about the likely cancellation of Haj amidst mounting corona fears, the Minority Affairs Ministry was hopeful that at least some Indians will get an opportunity to take part in the pilgrimage and was making arrangements accordingly. However, Saudi Minister for Haj and Umrah, Mohammad Saleh bin Taher, ended months of uncertainty when he conveyed his country’s decision to bar international pilgrims this year. The Haj Committee of India, of course, will be returning the applicants money in full and the process is already on. But it will take long time for the Haj hopefuls to overcome the shock. For most of the Indian pilgrims Haj is once in a lifetime experience and many save money for it over several years. Having been selected in the qura (draw of lots) and yet not been able to realise their cherished dream is a big letdown.

Haj, the fifth pillar of Islam, is an intense act of love and devotion. And this consecrated journey is always fraught with trials and tribulations even in this age. The outbreak of infectious diseases via the respiratory route is common during Haj season. Over the years incidents such as cholera epidemic, eruption of fire in the crowded tent city of Mina or stampede during stoning of the devil ritual have marred the pilgrimage. More recently – September 2013 – the Middle East Respiratory Syndrome (MERS) led to restriction of elderly and chronically ill Muslims from performing Haj. However, Covid-19 is the most serious of challenges yet to hit the pilgrimage.

Though there is huge disappointment and yet the Saudi government’s decision to limit the number of Haj pilgrims has found the approval of many Arab countries and Muslim organisations. Even the WHO Director-General Dr. Tedros Adhanum, welcomed the Saudi’s resolve to put the public health at the forefront. Haj pilgrimage is the world’s largest mass gatherings where people mingle and worship shoulder to shoulder for days together. Over the years the Saudi authorities have mastered the art of crowed management during Haj. But still the risk of infection looms large given the sheer number of pilgrims engaged in performance of rituals at the same time and place. And the threat gets multiplied several times in the present situation which calls for social distancing. It is first time in living memory that the Haj assemblage has been curtailed so drastically. Obviously lot of careful risk assessment and a thorough analysis of the various scenarios has weighed with the Saudi authorities before taking the hard decision.

Haj and Umrah, the lesser pilgrimage which is performed throughout the year, are the backbone of the Saudi economy. After oil and gas, they are the key revenue earner for the kingdom. Together they contribute an estimated $12 billion per year to the Saudi’s GDP. And this works out to about 20 percent of the kingdom’s non-oil GDP and 7 percent of total GDP. Interestingly, the Crown Prince, Mohammed bin Salman, has big plans to boost religious tourism reducing dependence on oil. By 2030 it is proposed to welcome 30 million pilgrims to the kingdom annually. If the COVID crisis continues, plans to diversify the economy by expanding pilgrimage-based tourism will get severely impacted.

What is laudable is that the Saudi government has chosen to place health and safety above monetary gains. It is strictly implementing health protocols such as social distancing and wearing of masks. In fact it was quick to react to the developing situation caused by corona and suspended Umrah visas in February itself. In an unprecedented move even Saudi nationals and local residents were stopped from performing Umrah or visiting the Prophet’s Mosque in Madinah in a bid to prevent spread of corona virus. As the situation worsened, the grand mosques at Makkah and Madinah were also placed out of bounds for worshippers.

Diseases and natural calamities have come in the way of Haj time and again. Sometimes armed conflicts or plain politics has played havoc with it. But the annual pilgrimage has continued with disruptions and curtailment. The corona threat is surely the deadliest of challenges. What is important is that Haj is performed in a safe manner from a public health perspective. And the Saudi authorities are right in limiting the numbers.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated July 28,2020

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The corona scare has everyone hitting the panic button. But some would prefer to take things in their stride, even cock a snook at the pandemic. The deadly virus seems to have let loose the creative juices in a few. Social media is awash with take-offs, memes and spoof videos on the possible scenarios in the days to come.

With no let up in the corona surge, parents might go for funny monikers for their newborns . The kindergarten roll call in future might sound like this: Gloves Gaikward, Mask Mahto, Qurantina Joshi, Lockdown Singh Rathore, Covid Awasthy, Corona Pal Singh and Social Distan Singh. Surely sometimes it takes pain and misfortune to teach lessons of life. As the world reels under the corona pandemic, some would like to laugh away the blues.

The deadly virus has unplugged creativity in no small measure. Poets, who mirror the vicissitudes of life, have given vent to the present troubled times in their own way. A good amount of social distancing shayeri has emerged in Urdu which is both thought provoking and funny at the same time.

Well known poet, Ahmed Faraz, feels proximity is what lovers pine for but there can be attraction in aloofness too. Sample this verse:

Qurbaten laakh khubsurat hon

Duriyon mein bhi dilkashi hai abhi

The humble handshake, the simple sign of greeting, is no-no these days. Health experts fear that the physical touch can be extremely critical now. Poet, Javed Saba, feels one might end up washing hands off with life itself if one goes about shaking hands with all and sundry. See how beautifully he captures the gravity of the situation. He says:

Ye jo milate phirte ho tum har kisi se haath

Aisa na ho ki dhona pade zindagi se haath

But this touch-me-not attitude could be very painful to lovers. It sure is a litmus test for them. In another verse Javed Saba reflects the dilemma of the lovebirds thus:

Ye keh kar usne makhmase mein daal diya

Milao haath agar waqai muhabbat hai

Social distancing has become the new normal with everyone accepting it willy-nilly. Padma Shri awardee, Bashir Badr, goes lyrical to express this idea. He says:

Koi haat bhi na milaiga

Jo gale miloge tapaak se

Ye naye mizaj ka shahr hai

Zara fasile se mila karo

Young bard, Shabbir Nazish, goes lyrical advocating the importance of remaining indoors to flatten the corona curve. Without mincing words he says:

Ghoom phir kar na qatale aam kare

Jo jahan hai wahin qiyam kare

The same idea is expressed in a different way by Etibar Sajid:

Ek hi shahr mein rehna hai magar milna nahin hai

Dekhte hain ye aziat bhi gawara karke

The scare, anxiety and sense of helplessness caused by corona is best captured by renowned Pakistan poet, Jaun Elia. He writes:

Ab nahin koi baat khatre ki

Ab sabhi ko sabhi se khatra hai

Despite global efforts, a cure for corona still eludes. Wajih Sami gives expression to this predicament thus:

Koi dawa bhi nahin yehi to rona hai

Sad ehtiyat ki phaila huva corona hai

Stay positive. Perhaps that’s the best way to beat the virus.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated July 27,2020

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Ji dhoondta hai phir wohi fursat ke raat din
Baithe rahe tasavur-e-jaanan kiye huwe

One can’t agree more with the great Urdu poet Mirza Ghalib. Who wouldn’t like to seek days of leisure sitting engulfed in thoughts of the beloved? But we seem to have bargained for more free time than we deserve. At least that’s what I feel. For the last two months, it is nothing but fursat hi fursat. We have certainly bitten off more than we can chew. A break from the routine is needed once in a while to relieve stress and boredom. But thanks to the prolonged lockdown, even the forced vacation is getting on the nerves.

To be frank, the first fortnight of the lockdown was a welcome relief. I had a whale of family time after a long time. Then the monotony set in – having nothing to do and all day to do it. As the Coronavirus kept its deadly march and newer and nastier details poured in by the hour, things got scary. How to stay become a full-time job.

Life for most retired persons is under lockdown anyway. But journalists rarely ever hang up their pens. I am one of those scribes who never want to call it quits. I like to write more for pleasure than pelf – although I need every bit of money that comes my way. For me going out has become difficult. Even though I have a press card which can take me places but age is certainly not on my side. Being on the wrong side of 60, I do not want to stick my neck out – not even for a scoop. And, therefore, for the last two months, I am holed up at home. The only luxury I have is visiting the neighborhood grocery store but even this is frowned upon by my wife and son.

Like other members of my tribe, I am working from home, and also for home. The leisure time has come handy for me to clear my cluttered desk and take a peek at books I have long loved to read but couldn’t. I recently finished `The Trustee from the Toolroom’, a gripping novel by Nevil Shute. With the advent of Ramzan, I engrossed myself in reading the Quran and also catching up on a few spiritual books like `The Last World’ and `Enjoy Your Life’ by Dr. Muhammed Al-Areefi.

If you think I have not used the leisure to learn a skill or two you are wrong. Though rather late in the day I have picked up a very useful skill which is the most simple and gratifying of the arts. Well, I do not claim to be a great chef, but I can manage to cook a decent meal all by myself. And I have stumbled upon the secret. All cooking is a matter of time. More the time, the better it is. This learning process has also opened my eyes to the amount of grind women go through day in and day out. Surely a man’s work is over by the set of the sun but a woman’s work is never done.

Time brings all things to pass. The lockdown will be history soon. The moot question is how we passed time – simply spent it or invested it.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated July 6,2020

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Plastic curtains, glass mounted tables, infra Triage, pedestal mounted sanitiser stands and large exhaust fans for free flow of air. No, this not a corporate hospital, but the scene at a primary health centre (PHC) functioning from the premises of Masjid-e-Ishaq in Nawabsab Kunta, Old City. The PHC, which reopened recently after the prolonged lockdown, has set a new benchmark in COVID compliant protocol. Not just this. There is also a Triage which is worth emulating. There is also a separate waiting area for patients here.

Triage at PHC

Every care has been taken to ensure that the clinic is safe for patients, doctors and staff. Given the spike in Covid cases in the old city, doctors here carry out fever surveillance and offer counselling for home isolation. And if they suspect a Covid case, a quick referral is made to the designated hospital. The Covid compliant model is considered necessary to give doctors and the patients the required confidence in providing and seeking quality health care services.

Doctor examining patients behind the triage

The PHC established in 2018 in the Masjid premises by the Helping Hand Foundation and SEED, USA has been making waves with its novel approach to health care. Earlier the PHC made use of the mosque public address system for dissemination of information to patients. During the lockdown messages for observing social distancing and maintenance of hygiene was also announced from the masjid loudspeaker.

Now it is going all out to combat suspected Covid cases in the old city slums. Patients who come to the clinic are first assessed in the Triage by trained counsellors. They do thermal screening and check oxygen saturation levels. Thereafter, the details are entered in an ICMR developed risk assessment form which gives scores on a scale of 1-10.

“Any patient with a score of more than 4 will be triaged for home isolation care after getting free medicines. The counsellors will monitor and track their health status regularly”, says Mujtaba Hasan Askari of Helping Hand Foundation.

At any given time only 8 patients are being allowed inside the clinic after they get clearance from the Triage. Before that they are sanitised and given a face mask. A group of nurses check the vitals and complaints of patients in the second triage station inside the masjid and an OP slip handed over to them for consultation. The other patients are moved to the waiting area in the adjacent block. All the doctors and staff are provided N-95 mask and gloves for their safety. Before and after consultation, the patients are advised to make use of the hand santiser.

“The clinic area is daily fumigated along with the equipment and instruments used in the clinic by a dedicated team of sanitation workers”, says Mr. Askari.

Medicos wearing PPE kit, N-95 and mask

Fever Surveillance

A fever surveillance protocol has been prepared by the doctors to track the fever cases reported at the centre by a team of counsellors from the Triage. Daily tracking and monitoring helps in identifying the symptomatic cases that need to be tested for COVID and clinically managed in hospitals. Suspected cases with symptoms of shortness of breath, desaturation, tightness in chest are referred to COVID centre.

J.S.Ifthekhar,

Hyderabad based journalist.

Article published in NewsMeter

Dated July 5,2020

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