By Zaidul Haque, TwoCircles.net,
Kolkata: Some of us privileged once often complain of humid weather and hunger and sleepiness if asked to go out from the comforts of AC room or office during fast. But there are some not so privileged souls who are forced to engage in manual labour and they live on streets. Despite all hardships, they keep fast even as they continue their job. TCN visited a street in Kolkata to find..
70 year old Pir Muhammad migrated to Kolkata from Bihar when he was still a childhood. He is a barber and has a make-shift salon on a sidewalk at Rafi Ahmed Kidwai Road and Ripon Street crossing in the heart of the city. At this salon, jocularly called the ‘Italian Salon’ as customers sit on Eit (bricks), cuts hair and gives shaves to his customers that help him support his family who live in a rented one room nearby. Pir says he learnt shaving and cutting hair when he was 14 years old and since then he is engaged in the same profession.
70 year old Pir Muhammad, a barber on the street of Kolkata.
Pir Mohammad says he fast all day, and attends to his customers on the street full day. He has grown a long beard himself as in Islam it is advisable to keep it, but says, “I follow the wishes of his customers and shaves their beard even in Ramazan although his heart knows it is not right.”
He says that the month of Ramazan is not good for business for any salon, but towards the end of the month as Eid approaches they do good business he says. He is thankful to Almighty that he can fast at his age and manages his family too.
60 year old Ayub Ali Sardar is a rickshaw puller in the city, but that does not stop him from observing Roza. His family lives in a remote village Gocharan under the Joynagar police station of South 24 Parganas, from where he comes to pull old styled rickshaw pulled by hand. Ayub says that while still very young, poverty forced him to come to the city to earn a living. Even the rickshaw he pulls his not his, but he takes it on rent for which he has to pay rs 50 daily.
Ayub says that since young age he has been fasting full month during the holy month of Ramazan. So full day he pulls rickshaw in Park Street-New Market locality, with empty stomach. He says during Ramazan he begin his work from morning and after Asar prayer.
60 year old Ayub Ali Sardar is a rickshaw puller in Kolkata.
He says he tries to save as much money for his family and is thankful to God that he could marry off his three daughters with the little savings. He says that now he has no big responsibility and so want devote more time to Almighty and so tries to offer all prayers in congregation if he is free.
But does not he feel tired pulling rickshaw while empty stomach? He smiles and says that Allah gives him strength and he feels happier fasting in this month. He says, “When some kind hearted people sit on his rickshaw and realize that I am fasting, often they offer more money in gratitude.”
As Ayub’s home is far off, he cannot go home daily and so he lives on the footpath near New Market. He goes home once in 15 days generally, but since it’s the month of Ramazan, he prefers going home every day, he says.
Ayub leaves home after Sehri and take the local train to Kolkata and after Asar prayer he leave for home, he says. He says that often he, along with several other fellow passengers, they break their fast in the compartment of the train.
He says, along with fellow passengers they arrange for Iftar in the train compartment, dates, grams, puffed rice, snacks, etc. On days we earn more money, we also buy fruits, he says.
He says with the grace of God they make good money in this month and wish that all year was as holy as this month.
Related:
Ramadan: A day out with the construction workers at a Metro site in Kolkata
Link:
Ramadan 1435: TCN series