It seems that the festivals like Eidul Azha are meant for the people who are prosperous. Notwithstanding that one cannot buy happiness with money, perhaps good health and pleasure come with it.Let us look at the festival through the eyes of Mohsin Khan, a cobbler, who works at Sector I-10 of Islamabad. Every year, Eid becomes a burden for him, as he has to prepare special meal, buy new clothes and keep up the pretence of happiness. This is Eid after all, a time to go merry. Khan does not have the means to buy a pair of shoes and a T-shirt for his son, or a frock for his daughter – the things that they crave for as they watch the children of their mother’s employer trying out their outfits while peering into the mirror. For Mohsin, who is always hand-to-mouth, situation is very depressing and buying sacrificial animal to him is a dream.
Most of the poor people in Islamabad are domestic workers, who live in slums and work in small restaurants. Some of them are taxi drivers and hawkers, the people who belong to the lowest income group. These people grab any means of employment to sustain themselves – from breaking stones to managing teashops, barely scraping together an income of Rs 70 to Rs 100 a day.
While most of the low income group appeared depressed during a random Pakistan Today survey, a newspaper hawker was very optimistic. He said if he got the commission and bonus on time, he might visit his family in his home village. “My family members at my village has purchased sacrificial animal some time back, therefore, I hope my Eid will be much better, though the purchasing power was not there but somehow I managed it,” he said.
A security guard at a bank was also very positive. He said religious and cultural festivals should be celebrated in befitting manner, if possible. He said having sweets before Eid prayers, slaughtering the goat, a hearty lunch with the family and a visit to some picnic spot were much-awaited and desired Eid treats. Although he did not have the money yet, he was waiting eagerly for his employer to show some consideration. Wearing new clothes, Haadia said, “Red hair-ribbons, eye makeup, red colour lipstick to go along with a frock that dad bought will be my prized Eid excitement.”
Rehman, Haadia’s father, regretted that because of the high cost of living, he could not buy a goat and even better dress for her daughter than the one he bought from the Aabpara Market for Rs 150. Rafia Manan, a garment worker, will visit her hometown if she receives the extra bonus as promised by her bosses. Many cab drivers are aiming at high profits on the Eid day, charging their customers more than usual, which add to the miseries of common people like Rafia.
“I will work in the morning shift and make as much as possible so that I can take my family to watch a movie,” said Zahoor Ahmed, a CNG taxi driver. “My Eid shopping will be limited to Rs 1,000 for my family of seven and hopefully I will get the best deal from Raja Bazaar in Rawalpindi,” he added. A domestic female worker in F-10 said she might be able to feed her family well if she worked hard on Eid day. The work will fetch her some extra money as well. Talking about sacrificial animal, she is not in position to say whether she will manage to buy one.
Besides the other lower middle class segments of society, policemen, who are deployed at various spots in the federal capital for providing security to the Islooites, are the most aggrieved ones.
As soon as commuters see policemen at a checkpost, first they frown then a silent murmuring. But none of them appreciate the policemen for putting their lives on stake and giving protecting them (commuters), who have a negative perception about police personnel, despite the fact that the majority of them are constables. As these cope are tackling the looming terror threats, these policemen are also sacrificing their Eid holidays and are unable to celebrate the auspicious days with their beloved ones.
“It is unfortunate that people are annoyed with us, as soon as they watch us from a fair distance. Nonetheless, we are here for their protection even on Eid days when we should have been with our dear ones. People have a negative mindset about us and we don’t know how to change it,” said Bashir Ahmed, a constable on duty at a thoroughfare.
According to Bashir, many of the policemen are deputed at mosques on Eid days, but when people greet with each other after prayers, hardly anyone comes my way to embrace me and say two little words ‘Eid Mubarak’, he said emotionally.
