MUMBAI: Since the beginning of Ramzan on March 2, around 1,000 women assemble every evening at a maidan outside All India Memon Jamat Federation's office on Mohammed Ali Road to break their fast. The federation, an umbrella organisation of over 500 jamats in the country, provides free iftar boxes containing snacks, fruits, dates and 1 litre of chilled bottled water for the rozedars.
Perhaps nowhere in the country is such an arrangement made exclusively for women. These women are not poor or deprived, but are well-off people, in many cases with toddlers in tow, who travel to Mohammed Ali Road-Crawford Market-Bhendi Bazar areas from far off suburbs for Ramzan and Eid shopping but cannot reach home in time for iftar.
"They are from well to do families and have enough money to buy iftar, but cannot eat it comfortably because of the huge rush in the markets throughout the holy month. We provide them hygienically prepared snacks and fresh fruits to break their fast," federation's president Iqbal Memon Officer said. "We expect around 1,000 women daily, but often the number swells to 1,200."
Overwhelmed by the gesture, Mumbra resident Arifa Begum said, "I have come with my three sisters and two sisters-in-law. We are so thankful that we can break our fast comfortably at this place. We would have faced difficulty had they not provided it."
Beginning in 2017, Officer said the initiative had to be halted during the pandemic. Speaking about the birth of the plan, he said,
"One Ramzan, I was late for iftar at home and, while going from office, I saw many women standing in the middle of the road and breaking their roza. I was pained seeing it, and discussed with other members of the federation about starting this service. A few were reluctant initially, but finally we began."
Sometimes, philanthropists sponsor the iftar for a day.
This service has been appreciated widely. Pune paediatrician Dr Sarfraz Memon visited the facility last week. "I have travelled extensively, but this is a first-of-its-kind initiative. As a doctor, I was more pleased to see women being given safe, bottled water. The happiness I saw on their face gladdened my heart," he said.
Mangalore businessman Salim Ahmed Khan too visited the ground last week and came back "hugely impressed". "The fact that this meticulous arrangement of iftar is exclusively for women who are not beggars makes it very important. The poor get zakat (2.5% of the annual saving Muslims give to charity), but these women will never ask anyone to give them iftar boxes. This is a wonderful initiative and other cities too should replicate it," said Khan.