Iftar gatherings organised either by individuals or corporates across the country are a boon for travellers, labourers and people doing menial jobs, at a time when there are only a few mosques that host organised iftar camps.
They assemble near the distribution points well before the suppliers bring the bundles of iftar packs that comprise dates, water, laban, a fruit, a snack, dates and nuts in their cars and distribute.
These blue-collar workers, people on the move, passers-by, and people stuck in some places due to traffic or otherwise are finding it convenient to break their fast with these small kits that hold big meanings for them.
In the case of labourers, they only know the beauty of Iftar with their dear and near ones while they are back home every two years or more and here at workplaces, they limit their iftars within the four concrete walls of the building they are working on and cherish whatever little they have.
They hardly get a chance to break their fast amid ceremonial festivities below the Ramadhan lantern and with their friends and relatives around. "We are trying to support not just our customers but anyone who comes to us at the time of iftar and we are happy to be distributing the Iftar kits to the passersby," says Prabhu, General Manager of Mustafa Sultan Exchange that feeds fifty passers-by every day.
With the social iftars not being a norm of this year's holy month, these men on the move solely look forward to those who bring them the dates and laban to break their fast.
"Since we are engaged in different construction sites, we do not have the time to go to our camps to break the fast and hence we keep something from our rooms to break fast at the sunset," said a labourer who was seen standing in the long queue in front of the only iftar tent in Ruwi, run by the Malabar Gold Group.
"But with these good Samaritans distributing foods at Iftar time, we are relaxed as our fast has ended religiously," he adds.
These iftars are on one side, done by corporates as part of their CSR (corporate social responsibility) but on the other side, they emanate a sense of being cared for and give a sense of unity, which is the very aim of any social iftar conducted around.
Although these men are of various ethnic backgrounds, diverse cultural origins, and wearing different attires, a few similarities bind them together.
They are taking part in the nation-building process and waiting to share their first meal of the day from a single platter while helping each other with drinking water, dates and other delicacies of breaking fast.
These blue-collar workers, passers-by and travellers stand in perfect unison for prayers in rows after satisfactorily breaking their day-long fast, thanks to the corporates and good Samaritans who extended a helping hand to them.
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