Ramadan is laden with abundant excitements depending upon the choices of people they enjoy the most. With the prelude of Ramadan people engage themselves in the activity they like. Girls enjoy the preparation of Eid and shopping, boys playing the cricket matches at dawn, but for me the source of merriment at my childhood, was the drummer at sehri.
The rocking beats of the drum, tthak tthaka tthak, tthak tthaka tthak, and the refreshing voice of the drum beater (Actually the Sehri Wala for me) compel me to run to the terrace and watch him, whenever I used to stay at my grandma home during Ramadan. I always wondered that how the Sehri wala wake up so early, doesn’t he sleeps at night? My situation after listening to his energizing voice and beats of his drum was not much different from the rats who danced on the tune of Pied Piper.
As I lived in apartments , I couldn’t get this excitement at my home so I find reasons to stay at my grandma home and whether to have fast or not, I tried to get up for sehri,
just to have a glance of that scene which was immense blissful for me.
Like every drummer he uses to come to the streets the whole month of holy Ramadan and even at Eid to get his reward. It was one of the Eid that I heard the beats of drum and the same zealous voice of that Sehri wala. I got out to terrace to see what he was doing. He knocked at every door of the street asking for the reward of this hard work, some gave him few rupees and others shut their doors on his face asking, Hum ne kaha tha jagaaney ko, to phir pese kese?
I became really sad and also irked at the selfishness of people. He worked so hard then why people are not willing to give him his due money, I inquired myself. But I didn’t know at that time that this egotism of people will bring a dearth of drummers today and will plunge this profession in to murky.
The concept of sehri wala is considered pious for many people today because it is one of the oldest traditions of ours. When there were no alarm clocks and loudspeakers people rely on them to get up for sehri. But with the advancement in technology and all facilities available to us, our hearts and pockets have become so tiny that a 20Rupee note doesn’t come out of it for any one.
As stated in the news I read, a drummer (sehri wala) was of the view that his profession is not helping him to make enough money for his survival. Despite of his services in weddings and Ramadan he couldn’t make money to make his ends meet and even fails to earn two meals of a day sometimes. He said if it continues he will be succumbed to quit his ancestral profession like many others did.
The fanatical voice of Sehri wala that I heard in my childhood reverberates in my ears till today. But unfortunately I don’t see many of them on roads and streets whenever I get out for sehri. This tradition of ours is not only unique but also worth watching for people residing outside Pakistan
