Nitaqat eats away spice from pilgrims’ food

The new labor laws of Nitaqat appear to have taken a heavy toll in the most unlikely of areas — the human palate — as was evident from the desperation of Asian pilgrims seeking spicy food during Haj.
With catering companies failing to secure temporary seasonal visas for cooks and other workers for Haj kitchens, the food being served in Mina, according to the spice-loving Asian pilgrims, was bland and unpalatable. People with foresight like Saad Jamal Qureshi, a businessman and director of Makkah Chamber of Commerce and Industry, had forewarned of a crisis of sorts if visas were not issued in time.
Pilgrims from South Asian countries constituted a significant share in this year’s total of 1.3 million foreign pilgrims, but no move was made to provide pilgrims with their cuisine. Pilgrims were disappointed as they had to contend with Arab Kabsa with steamed chicken.
All these pilgrims had cooking accessories and the raw material required but could not cook in the tents since it was prohibited by civil defense authorities to prevent fire accidents. Many of them were seen running around shops and cafeterias for spicy food but came back empty-handed. Some of them even went to Al-Jawahara and Souk Al Arab in Mina.
Mohammed Fazal, an Indian pilgrim, said: “We are tired of the Arabic food, but we are being forced to eat the same boiled rice. My mother didn’t eat for two days and has fallen sick.” An Indian pilgrim, Mohsina, as her name appears on her bracelet, was in the middle of an argument with a waiter serving food at her tent over the food.
Mohammed Raheem Gul, a Pakistani pilgrim, said: “I am tired of the food, but I will tolerate it. After all, Haj means sacrifice, so what if I didn’t get the food of my choice.” Bangladeshis also had similar complaints.
While returning to Mina after performing Tawaf, most of pilgrims visited Desi hotels in the holy city before moving on to Mina.