Risala volunteers win applause for Haj service

MINA: There were many Indian volunteer groups that came to the help of pilgrims of all nationalities during the just concluded Haj. Notable among them was Risala Study Circle.
Its nearly 1,000 Indian volunteers came from different parts of the Kingdom and played key roles in helping many pilgrims, especially those from South Asia, complete the difficult and arduous Haj rituals.
“The primary job of the volunteers was to take care of the elderly pilgrims, especially those who get separated from their group in Mina,” said one of the group organizers.
Maloor Kuttipuram Kunjheen, a 50-year-old Indian pilgrim from India who came through the Al-Falah Haj Group in Kerala, had a severe asthmatic attack at the Jamrat complex two days ago. He was completely exhausted. Risala Study Circle volunteers rushed to his help and took him to the nearest clinic where he was put on nebulization. The volunteers sat by his side for two hours, got him food and then informed his wife and relatives of his condition.
The Risala volunteers similarly helped a 37-year-old Pakistani pilgrim Iqbal who had fallen unconscious at the Jamrat complex during the stoning ritual. The volunteers, along with the agile and alert Civil Defense personnel, transferred him to a nearby hospital where he was treated with utmost care.
Among the Risala volunteers who came in for praise for their tireless efforts were Samad, Noufal Chirayil, Nisar Manakath and Nijam Vykkam.