Idrisi community ‘lays claim’ to Poet Iqbal, Havildar Abdul Hameed

By TCN Special Correspondent,

Lucknow: The caste-ridden Indian society witnessed another fall when the Idrisi community (a Muslim caste group) came up to claim that Urdu poet Allama Iqbal and Param Veer Chakra recipient Havildar Abdul Hameed were member of the Idrisi (tailor) community. A meeting of the community here on Sunday hailed him as community's role model and demanded patronising their ancient trade of tailoring.

“Beside Veer Abdul Hameed even the poet Allama Iqbal who penned 'Sare Jahan Sey Achacha Hindustan Hamara' was also Idrisi. Our community has given birth to many such stalwarts but we are now languishing in penury," said Mohd Waseem Idrisi, an office-bearer of the newly formed Idrisi Samanvay Samiti (ISS) on Sunday. He puts the strength of his community in UP at around 55 lakh which is mostly engaged in stitching and tailoring work. "The skill has no takers in this present era. People hardly visit the tailor's shop so the community is finding it hard to earn its livelihood," he added.

The newly formed ISS demanded that members of the Idrisi community should be given quota in the Ordnance Factories under ministry of defence for tailoring tasks. "People from other communities are being inducted for tailoring work. It should be reserved for the Idrisi community so that they can earn their livelihood," said Waseem.

In a bid to show off their strength, the ISS has also convened a big conference of their community members in Ravidralaya on April 7, 2011. The conference will be attended by members of Idrisi community from across the state. "We understand that unless you raise your demand vociferously, it is not met. The sammelan (conference) will be attended by representatives of the community from across the country and discuss steps for the welfare of the community. Political leaders from the community have also been invited in the function," he added.