HYDERABAD: For the younger generation, the role of Sehri wakers might be irrelevant. But these selfless people have been going around the streets in the wee hours, braving rains, to wake up people for Sehri during the holy month of Ramzan.

For the last 30 years, Syed Muneer of Doodhbowli, a visually-impaired person has been roaming the streets in the thick of night during Ramzan period to perform this pious duty of waking up people for Sehri. He goes around the streets of Osmanbagh, Bahadurpura, Kamatipura and Palam Road localities every day with his microphone, urging them to get up and eat, before offering Fajr prayers. Syed Muneer is one of the last and the oldest living mesaharatis (sehri wakers) in the city.

A father of three, Syed Muneer survives on the paltry monthly pension of Rs 1,500 for disabled persons, apart from money and clothes presented by local people. He lives in a rented two-room house in Doodhbowli with his mother, wife and three children.

Despite being visually-impaired, Muneer knows every turn and house in the area. After reading Tarawih prayers, he goes to bed and wakes up at 2 am to start his pious duty by 2.30 am. Asked why he prefers this work, the Mesaharati says,”Till my death, I want to wake people up for Sehri every Ramzan. I believe I will be rewarded by Allah in my afterlife and also my children will get the fruits of my labour”.

Syed Muneer reads prayers at shops throughout the year which helps him to earn some extra money.

The role of mesaharatis is slowly fading into oblivion as more people rely on alarm clocks. Many rozedaars stay awake all night, eat at dawn, offer Fajr prayers and then sleep.

Muneer has been knocking at the doors of authorities for a small house. However, his pleas have been caught in red tape. In 2011, he even received a letter from the then additional commissioner (Housing) of GHMC, assuring action on his plea for house under JNNURM, after Muneer wrote a letter to the then Union housing minister Kumari Shelja. However, he gets turned back every time he visits the Hyderabad district collectorate at Nampally.

Source: http://www.newindianexpress.com/cities/hyderabad/Visually-impaired-Sehri...