Mumbai: A Muslim association in Mumbai is marshaling community members to observe Bakri-Eid or Eid-ul-Adha by pledging to support drought-affected people of Marathwada region in western India.
Clergymen and intellectual too have joined NGOs and volunteers to help the scarcity-hit people.
The Social Education and Welfare Association (SEWA) has taken the initiative to support the famers who are in need of support and protection and held a preparatory workshop in Mumbai’s Islam Gymkhana.
Maharashtra has been facing drought for some time. This year it is facing the worst water scarcity in the past five decades. Farmers are forced to leave their villages and migrate to cities or commit suicide. Beed district is one of the worst affected in the state, reports twocircles.net.
Acute water shortage has created problems for people to feed their children and maintain their cattle, the meeting observed. Along with tackling current drought issue steps also have to be taken to avoid such situations in future.
While expressing his concerns for farmers SEWA president Yusuf Abrahani, a lawyer, said, “Due to drought hundreds of farmers of Maharashtra have committed suicide and numbers are still on rise. The farmers feed us but today they are reeling for food because of drought. In such a situation it’s our moral duty to come ahead and support them.”
Abrahani further added that SEWA is issuing its account number to collect funds for the farmers. He requested Muslims to pray especially for farmers in their Eid-ul-Adha prayers and donate some amount to help them.
Mufti Manzoor Ahmad said, “There are several Hadith of the Holy Prophet Mohammed (Peace Be upon Him) that directs Muslims to help the poor people who are in need irrespective of the belief they follow.”
Maulana Mustaqeem Azmi, president of Jamiat-e-Ulema, Maharashtra while congratulating SEWA for the initiative, said, “This is the quality of Islam that it teaches to help everyone irrespective of their religion. This is a noble initiative taken by SEWA and everyone should join it. I am pleased to see that affluent people of Mumbai have taken the responsibility to support the farmers, may Allah be please with them and benefit them and the farmers who are actually in need”.
Aamir Edresy, president of Association of Muslim professionals (AMP) while announcing his support said, “AMP is supporting SEWA in its noble initiative and soon a team will be visiting the villages of Latur, Beed and Usmanabad districts to provide financial support to the needy farmers. Also we are consulting and coordinating with other NGOs who are already working in the field.”
The program that was attended by hundreds of scholars and intellectuals from the city was concluded with the heart-wrenching prayers of the Maulana Moin Miyan Saheb. Who also appealed Muslims to come ahead and support the farmers and to arrange special prayers in mosques for the said cause.