India’s Nomadic Muslims Stage Hunger Strike for Welfare, Livelihood Rights
Protesters demand a dedicated finance corporation, alternative employment and educational support, while seeking relief for communities whose traditional occupations have been affected by forest protection laws.
By Abdullahi Yusuf
Members of marginalised nomadic Muslim communities in India’s Telangana state have staged a hunger strike in Karimnagar, demanding a dedicated government finance corporation, employment assistance and measures to protect livelihoods they say have been undermined by economic hardship and restrictions on traditional occupations.
The peaceful protest, organised by the Telangana State Nomadic Muslim Tribes Organisation, brought together members of communities seeking greater access to government welfare programmes, educational opportunities and financial assistance.
At the centre of their demands is the establishment of a dedicated finance corporation to provide loans, subsidies and development support to nomadic Muslim families, which protesters say have received inadequate attention despite their disadvantaged social and economic conditions.
Addressing the demonstrators, Waseem Ahmed, a coordinator of the Association for Protection of Civil Rights (APCR), said Telangana’s recent caste census had identified nomadic Muslims among the most disadvantaged groups within the state’s Backward Classes classification.
He criticised the state government for establishing dedicated financial institutions for other disadvantaged communities without creating a similar body for nomadic Muslims.
Ahmed called for the immediate establishment of the proposed corporation with adequate funding, alongside the implementation of a previously promised annual allocation of 10 billion Indian rupees to support families who have lost their traditional sources of livelihood.
The protesters also demanded the implementation of commitments under the Maulana Abul Kalam Azad Ta’lim Scheme, an educational welfare initiative intended to improve access to schooling and other opportunities for children from disadvantaged backgrounds.
Another major concern raised during the demonstration was the impact of forest and wildlife protection laws on communities whose traditional occupations have come under restriction.
The protesters called for the withdrawal of criminal cases registered under forest laws against Gardi Muslims and communities historically associated with snake charming, arguing that families affected by restrictions on these occupations needed alternative means of earning a living.
They also demanded fully subsidised loans of up to one million rupees for families deprived of their traditional livelihoods, alongside a monthly unemployment allowance of at least 15,000 rupees.
The organisation further called on authorities to allow Nai Muslims, traditionally associated with barbering and related occupations, to continue their professions without restrictions.
Beyond employment and financial assistance, the protesters sought the construction of a community development centre and the recovery of Waqf properties they said had been illegally occupied. They urged authorities to utilise the resources from such properties to support impoverished Muslim families.
The demonstration also highlighted demands for appropriate recognition of nomadic Muslim communities within India’s Other Backward Classes (OBC) affirmative action framework, which provides eligible disadvantaged communities with access to reservations in education and government employment, alongside targeted welfare measures.
Community leaders, including the organisation’s president, Sher Ali, and working president, MD Shabbir, said the agitation would intensify if the Telangana government failed to address their demands.
The demonstration reflects wider concerns among the affected communities over access to economic opportunities, educational support and government assistance, particularly for families whose traditional occupations have been disrupted.
SPONSORED
SPONSORED
SPONSORED
SPONSORED
