Haj Baggage Woes: Omar Urges Centre to End Separate Luggage Routing for J&K Pilgrims

Chief Minister Omar Abdullah has written to Union Civil Aviation Minister Kinjarapu Ram Mohan Naidu, seeking urgent intervention to ensure Haj pilgrims' baggage is transported on the same flights returning to Jammu and Kashmir, rather than being routed separately by road from Ahmedabad.

In the letter, the Chief Minister highlighted the distress of pilgrims — particularly elderly Hajis — over delays in receiving their checked-in luggage, which is currently being transported by road due to operational constraints and ongoing runway maintenance at Srinagar Airport.

Omar noted that the arrangement has disrupted long-standing religious traditions, as pilgrims customarily distribute Zamzam water, dates and other religious offerings among family and neighbours immediately upon returning home.

"I seek your kind intervention for transportation of baggage of the Haj pilgrims returning to J&K safely and concurrently with the pilgrims on the same flights," the Chief Minister said in the letter, adding that timely delivery would help preserve the sanctity of items of deep religious and sentimental value.

The development follows a clarification by the Union Ministry of Minority Affairs, which had attributed the baggage restrictions to a NOTAM and temporary runway length limitations at Srinagar Airport, necessitating payload reductions on Srinagar-bound flights.