Much later after I had settled down at Idgah residence, I came to realise the importance of Delhi 6. Most outsiders never knew 'Delhi 6' till the Abhishek Bachchan starrer movie in 2009.
The tonga left me in the heart of Delhi 6. Idgah, Sadar Bazar are the two extreme points of Delhi 6 which touches New Delhi. Idgah, where my home would be for the next three years in the Capital, has never been explored by any historian. Idgah (place where the Id namaz is offered) is a historical monument built by Mughal emperor Aurangzeb. It is an imposing structure. The area is inhabited by meat merchants who are known as Qureshis. Hence the area gets its name Quraishnagar or Kashapura.
Predominantly a Muslim area, it is different from the rest of the Muslim localities of Delhi. People are rich and don't be surprised if you spot a Sedan or the latest model of Mercedes. Most families are engaged in meat exports. Most of them have their outlets in the posh Khan Market, INA Market and in south Delhi. They are the kings of meat industry.
But 13 years later, their hegemony is now threatened. The Idgah slaughterhouse was sealed and hundreds gathered at the Shahi Idgah round about to express their discontent. The two-century-old abattoir, which has provided a means of livelihood to thousands down the ages, is now replaced with a high-tech slaughterhouse situated at Ghazipur in East Delhi.
Tempers started soaring in the afternoon, as dozens of small meat traders and distributors based in the Paharganj and Karol Bagh started gathering at the ancient prayer-grounds to protest against being uprooted from their means of livelihood.
Shahbaz Khan, a meat vendor from Karol Bagh said, "I used to save some money because the transportation cost from the slaughterhouse to my shop was negligible."
"The mandi at Ghazipur is much, much smaller than this one. How will it accommodate so many workers?" asked Mohammad Mubarik, a meat vendor in Paharganj.
No comments:
Post a Comment