The Haji Musafir Khana. Picture by Eastern Projections

Oct. 8: The newly constituted Haji Musafir Khana Trust Board has taken up several ambitious schemes to turn the Haji Musafir Khana into an institution to spread education and to carry out different public welfare activities.

The Musafir Khana has been accommodating Muslim pilgrims of the entire Northeast region before they leave for Mecca for the annual Haj pilgrimage since 1975.

“We do not want people to remember the Musafir Khana once in a year and that, too, during Haj. There are many things, which we can do for the welfare of society. The Tarun Gogoi government has extended us full support to execute the schemes,” the trustee-in-charge of Musafir Khana, Mohd Mohidul Islam, said.

One of the big projects undertaken by the trust is the setting up of a modern library-cum-research centre to spread modern education in the right perspective.

“The library-cum-research centre would be one of the best in the region. Besides modern education, the centre would make an endeavour to interpret religions, particularly Islam, in the right perspective. There has been many misconceptions about Islam these days and the centre would try to remove all those misgivings,” Islam said.

The board has also planned to rope in eminent scholars of Islamic studies from different parts of the globe for research.

The board has also decided to set up a hostel to provide accommodation to students migrating to the city for education .

“With the fast growth of Guwahati, a large number of students from the rural areas are immigrating to the city for education and jobs. These students always face the problem of accommodation. The proposed hostel would accommodate students and provide them with all facilities at a very affordable price,” another member of the trust board said.

The Haji Musafir Khana provides accommodation and other facilities to hundreds of Muslim pilgrims from different parts of the region before they leave for Mecca every year. Officials of the Musafir Khana conduct health check-up and looks after the clearing of other formalities to ensure a hassle-free pilgrimage.

The trust has also built a modern community hall with the welfare of common people in sight. Islam said the newly built community hall would be given on rent at a very cheap price for marriage ceremonies and other social functions.

“We want the econo-mically weak to enjoy the pleasure of organising their marriage and other ceremonies at an affordable price at the community hall here,” he said.