Dry spell casts pall over Ramadan in India
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(Photo: Food sellers on Ramadan evening near old Delhi’s Jama Masjid (Grand Mosque), 23 Aug 2009/Parth Sanyal)
For Imrat Salaam, the holy month of Ramadan couldn’t have come at a tougher time: India’s weakest monsoon in decades has hiked food prices, and her eldest son, the main breadwinner, lost his job in the economic downturn.
The start of the fasting month, the holiest in the Muslim calendar and which began on Saturday in most countries, is usually a joyful occasion, but the mood at the Salaam household in Delhi’s old quarters is somber, as the family is unable to put together a decent meal to break their day-long fast.
“We cannot afford anything more than a handful of dates. Even fruits and vegetables have become very expensive,” said Imrat Salaam, as she struggles to care for her paralyzed husband and seek work to earn some money.
Read the whole story here.
(Photo: Muslims break their fast on the first day of Ramadan at the Jama Masjid in old Delhi, 23 Aug 2009/Parth Sanyal)
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