By Raqib Hameed Naik, TwoCircles.net,
Srinagar: Despite facing various health related ailments, Mohammad Iqbal, 60, a Gujjar, who migrates to Kashmir every year for six months in search of employment opportunities, fasts every day from dawn to dusk during Ramadan.
Iqbal had suffered fracture in his left leg some years back, when he fell from a hill while grazing his cattle. But his health is no deterrent for a proud Gujjar like him to observe fast.
“Some days, when I don’t wake up at sehri due to tiredness from previous day’s work, I still fast simply by having a glass of water,” claimed Iqbal.
Iqbal is not the only Gujjar to face this predicament. Every year, hundreds of Gujjars migrate from Kalakote in Rajouri district to Srinagar in search of better employment opportunities. They come down from higher reaches of their native villages – dhoks, margs and pastures – of Panchal range during summer season, leaving behind their natural life, tribal system, traditional food and melodious folk songs.
Pir Panchal region is home to the Gujjar tribe in Jammu and Kashmir. The Gujjars are a unique and significant ethnic group of the state largely dependent on cattle, goat, sheep and horse keeping even as the tribe keeps oscillating between high altitudes with their herds and the valleys of Jammu and Kashmir. This is the only largest Muslim tribe in India with a nomadic way of life from times immemorial. They community has roots in West Asia and Central Asia. There is a population among Gujjars, who don’t own herds but keep rotating in between Rajouri and Srinagar for better employment opportunities.
The Gujjars migrating to Kashmir are mostly seen on outskirts of Srinagar city with tents erected alongside the roads. Life is difficult for them as the weather remains wet round the year with frequent rains and simultaneous flood threats.
Most of the Gujjars work as daily wage laborers in the construction sites across Srinagar. At Rajouri, they are paid Rs 200 per day while in Srinagar, employment opportunities are better compared to Rajouri and they are paid Rs 450 per day.
Despite working as labourers, most Gujjars fast throughout the month of Holy Ramadan. Mushtaq Ahmed, 25, is another tribal who migrated from Rajouri. Working as a daily wage laborer in Srinagar. He is married and living with his wife and a newly born son in a makeshift tent. Inside, the tent is full of flies as Mushtaq and his wife are cutting chicken to be cooked for Iftaar.
“Today, I got my wage from the contractor which was pending since last one week. It was making very difficult for me to run the kitchen. As I got my wages today, so we are going to cook chicken for Iftaar. Beside my wife and father, some of my relatives from nearby makeshift tents too are visiting to have Iftaar at our place,” said Mushtaq.
Mohammad Farooq, 32, was once a rich man with hundreds of sheep and goats but one winter brought doom for his business as he lost all his livestock due to heavy snow in Pir Panchal. Afterwards, he started working as a daily wage labourer to feed his family. Farooq, his wife Kafia, and their two children live in a tent under the open sky.
“When I was 14, my father used to teach me the importance of this month (Ramadan). Since then I have observe fast during this holy month of Ramadan. Sometimes, it is quite difficult to fast while working as a labourer but I try to take off from work instead of not fasting for a day,” says Farooq.
In the midst of conversation with Farooq, another visitor from a nearby canvas stretch joins in. Muneer Hussain Kathana, 22, is the sole bread earner and caretaker of his family. Munner was nine-year-old when his family dropped rearing of livestock due to financial constraints. Every year Muneer comes with his family to Srinagar from Kalakote, Rajouri.
The recent rainfall in Kashmir, complains Munner, played havoc in their lives as they were rendered jobless as there was complete halt to construction activities due to rains.
“We come to Srinagar to earn money as sustaining life in this time of inflation is quite difficult, but frequent rainfalls are curtailing our working days. Despite these hardships, we observe fast every day. It is like a festival for us for which we wait round the year.”
“It gives us some satisfaction that yes, we are making our lord Allah (s.w.t) happy. We make special food for Iftaar and Sehri according to our respective financial capacities,” says Munner.