Lucknow and rise of iftar party culture

Mehmood M AbdiLucknow, the centre of composite culture, has not only given distinct nuances to art, craft, language and inclusive way of living, it has also advanced a unique innovation which upon replication became a national tradition – hosting ‘Iftar' for Muslims by non-Muslims.
Over the decades, India has been lending a unique flavour to the Islamic observance of Ramzan fasting. While collective fast breaking is customary among Muslims, non-Muslims laying out an ‘Iftar' spread to Muslims is a uniquely Indian practice, and quite a novelty. So novel, in fact, that it has gone viral across the globe with even the President of the United States and the King of England now hosting a lavish ‘Iftar' in the White House and Windsor castle, respectively.Most of the attendees of such ‘Iftar' parties may not know that this addition to the official social calendar is entirely a Lucknow innovation which has come a long way from its origins in a clever political manoeuvring in Lucknow.Back in 1974, HN Bahuguna had just become the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh and had to deal with a sectarian clash between Shias and Sunnis in Lucknow. Bahuguna wanted to broker a truce between Shias and Sunnis. However, Advocate Ashraf Hussain, a fiery Shia leader, was not amenable to the terms of the settlement proposal. The highly temperamental Hussain refused to meet the CM on the pretext that he was observing the Ramzan fast.Bahuguna offered him the proposal to break his fast with him. Veteran Congressman late MN Abdi was close to both Bahuguna and Ashraf Hussain and had the task of persuading Ashraf Hussain to meet the CM.Hussain found it hard to deny the offer.For the first official ‘iftar', Bahuguna had instructed DD Joshi, then district of Lucknow to ensure arrival and departure of Ashraf Hussain in full official posse.The then city magistrate of Lucknow, who held the charge of the Hussainabad and Allied Trusts (the erstwhile royal endowment trusts of Awadh), was called to arrange the ‘iftar' items from the royal kitchens, which routinely held free ‘iftars' for the needy.This impromptu ‘iftar' had fruits, ‘sharbat', ‘sheermal', ‘kebabs' and ‘Lakhnawi pulao' (biryani).Other invitees to that ‘iftar' party were Shia priests lead by late Maulana Kalbe Abid and Sunni priests like late Maulana Hashim Miyan Firangi Mahali and Ahmad Miyan Firangi Mahali, Begum Hamida Habibullah, and Nawab Afsar Husain of Narhi. Many non-Muslims leaders like Babu Mahabir Prasad Shrivastava, Dr PD Kapoor, BN Kacher, Kranti Kumar and journalist Bishan Kapoor were present.Later, Bahuguna held another, better structured ‘iftarat' at his official residence, a practice he adopted since then.In the initial months of the Emergency, Indira Gandhi sacked Bahuguna but picked up the ‘iftar' custom from him.She copied the Lucknow-specific initiative to assuage aggrieved Delhi Muslims by throwing an ‘iftar' party for many who had suffered police excesses.The tradition of ‘iftar' party by politicians acquired so much importance that it was a routine fixture on official social calendars of our president, prime minister, most chief ministers and governors.There's a rush for suitable dates for holding an ‘iftar' party. In the event of a clash, the potential host's clout kicks in.There is also a widely accepted template. Crisp white kurta-pyjamas and Muslim skull caps are found in plenty at all parties, while the menu would almost always showcase some Mughlai cuisine, and desserts would include ‘shahi tukdas' but there is no rigidity.There have even been pure vegetarian ‘iftar' parties, for instance, the ones hosted by former governor Vishnu Kant Shastri.Like ‘namaz', ‘iftar' too showcases the basic Islamic feature of equality. Anyone can sit and eat with anyone.As Iqbal famously wrote: ‘Ek hi saf mein khade ho gaye Mehmood-o-ayaaz; na koi banda raha aur na koi banda nawaz'.But official status supersedes the basic etiquettes of ‘iftar' many a time — as it has in the past in many well-known instances.Separate tables are laid for governor and chief minister.Nevertheless, much tokenism is seen in big ‘iftar' parties which also tend to be mostly elitist affairs. Still, Muslims do see these overtures as significant statements on Indian secularism.(Writer is the exponent of oral history and culture)Get the latest lifestyle updates on Times of India, along with Women's day wishes, messages and quotes !