I have been documenting Muslim beggars as a storyboard of pain , Muslims those rich wealthy Muslims will be buying expensive goats not one but many and the ostentatious display of wealth is how I see it ,, for charity they distribute exercise books but if they educated a few girl children this lady and her child wont be begging on the streets of Bandra every Friday .
I began shooting Najma the Muslim child beggar much before she could say Allah Ke Nam Pe Do .. she was very tiny and her mother protected her from the rains sun within the folds of her burkha .
Now Najma is 3 year old , she has come a long way , her father cannot provide for them so they beg..and there are two mother and child I have documented in this lane near my house ,both my granddaughters have shot them too ,,one of them has a son.. Nerjis was a toddler herself,,
I will shoot her video but I was in a hurry I gave her some money and these are after thoughts on a blank post ,, I am posting these words at Facebook...and my posts are all marked for friends I dont write for Facebook faceless members ,, but everywhere else my posts are Public,,
And than I wonder all those sanctimonious Muslims who post sweet GIFS of a Happy Jumma ,, do they know there are Muslims that have never felt a Happy Jumma ,, socially or spiritually ,,they sit and beg ..hoping for their life to change , but the chances are very bleak.. only miracles can change their lives and we are the miracle if we help them in whatever way possible .
Earlier I shot Muslim beggars gave them money too but now I talk to a few of them.. I also know Hindu beggars who wear the headscarf and the hijab beg on Fridays and believe me I feel equally sorry for them , and they know I know but I dont mock them , simply because necessity is the mother of invention.. I give them money too.
I could have tweaked this picture made it arty by making it a BW .. but I let it be ,,see the colors of drabness the colors of despair the colors of hope begging on the wayside ,,
Juma Mubarak to you from Najma and her Mother ,,
Wa Zillah Manto Shaho
Wa Izzo Manto Shaho
