A look into the life of Muslim roadside vendors in metros
Muhammad Raees of Sultanpur in Uttar Pradesh spends night on Mumbai pavement. Abdul Jabbar of Godda in Jharkhand earns Rs 600 a month in Delhi. Aziz Ahmad in Patna ‘digs the well everyday to drink water.’ Hundreds of miles away from each other, the common bond they share is: they are illiterate; poor; and Muslims. And to make their ends meet they are roadside vendors.
According to the National Sample Survey 55th Round report, 51% of Muslim men are self-employed in unorganized sector. A majority of them have their shops on wheels or on pavements in cities. Bhendi Bazar, Mahim and Crawford Market in Mumbai have hundreds of Muslim roadside vendors. So have Jama Masjid area, Chandni Chowk and Jamia Nagar in Delhi and Station Road and Sabzi Bagh area in Patna. In this three-part series TwoCircles.net talks to Muslim vendors in Mumbai, Delhi and Patna.
Part I: Mumbai Muslim vendors
Part II: Patna Muslim vendors educating their children for better future
Part III: Muslim vendors in the shadow of Delhi’s Jama Masjid