By TwoCircles Team,
The holy month of Ramadan (or Ramzan) is a month of fasting, charity, and spirituality. The month has special significance for the Muslim ummah, whether rich or poor. TCN team here captured the toiling devotees, who do not let routine works affect their devotion or their adherence to faith stopping them from doing regular chores, in this holy month.
Guarding his faith and the mosque
By Shaik Zakeer Hussain,
Bangalore: Abdur Rahman gave up hawking fruits on a push cart, to guard the gates of Jumma Masjid in Yeshwanthpur, Bangalore seven years ago. Settled in a small room adjacent to the Masjid, he knocks every neighborhood house, calling its men to prayers every morning.
Here, amidst the busy movements of passers-by, he guards both his faith and his job in this holy month of Ramadan.
Crafting his inner being along with lime stones
By Mohd. Ismail Khan,
Hyderabad: Taking fine measurements with his iron scale, Shaik Rafi crafts the polished lime stones in square shape, sitting amid dust and rubble with skull cap on his head. Rafi is fasting, trying to cleanse and craft his inner being, as he puts the same effort on Tandur lime stones.
Shaik Rafi is a native of Kurnool district from Rayalseema region, like most of the migrants from the region, Rafi is also employed at construction sites in Hyderabad. 24 year old Rafi is working on lime stone crafting and flooring for past 8 years, and gets Rs. 300 for the whole day for his dedicated and enduring hard work.
But his construction site work didn’t deter him from observing Ramzan fast, which he is observing since his very young age. Migrant labor Rafi lives in accommodation provided by his employer Pratab, who also look after his daily meals. Being only Muslim in his employer’s labor camp, Rafi has to adjust things if he wishes to fast.
His employer Pratab allows him to leave flooring site before work timings to let him break his fast, Iftar food available for him at his accommodation. But Rafi needs to struggle a bit for having his Sehri, either he has to save some night food to warm it up again or cook his own food; Rafi often prefers the former.
Even though he has to work hard to manage work and fast, Rafi is happy for he understands the eminence of this holy month.
Guarding with verses of Allah!
By M Reyaz,
New Delhi: 20 year old Yakeen Khan works as private security guard at Jamia Millia Islamia on contract. Sitting under a tree, outside one of the centers in the university, Yakeen recites the Holy Quran, which he brings from his hostel, particularly for this month.
Originally from Meerut in Uttar Pradesh, Yakeen works in eight hour shift and gets Rs 8000 per month, besides lodging at hostel meant for Group D staffs. Yakeen has four sisters and an elder brother who too is working in the same university as computer operator, on contract basis.
Jamia earlier had security guards under two categories – Proctorial staffs (often regarded as ‘Bulls’ by students) and security guards. Although salary varied slightly, nonetheless it is much higher than what this new batch of contract staffs get., besides other benefits However, as the university expanded, instead proportionally hiring more security guards on permanent basis, it retorted to contractual staffing. There is now large batch of this new security guards, working subservient to the permanent security guards.