Activists Urge Telangana Government to Focus on Welfare Instead of Iftar Event
The Telangana government is considering holding the annual Chief Minister’s iftar on March 21 or 22. However, activists and civil society members are urging the government to use the funds for more meaningful initiatives that provide long-term benefits to the community.
Social activist Lubna Sarwath has written to Chief Minister A. Revanth Reddy, Advisor for Minorities Welfare Mohammad Ali Shabbir, and Chief Secretary A. Shanthi Kumari. She requested them to stop the iftar tradition, which was introduced by the former Telangana Rashtra Samithi (TRS) government. She argued that such gatherings do not contribute to real development and suggested that the funds should instead be used for minority education schemes. She also pointed out that the Centre for Education and Development of Minorities is not being fully utilised and could better support students.
Ms Sarwath criticised large public iftars held at venues like L. B. Stadium, saying that the money spent on such events is a waste of public funds. She believes that the government should instead invest in essential welfare programs.
S. Q. Masood from the Association for Socio-Economic Empowerment of the Marginalised (ASEEM) also raised concerns about the lack of financial support for students. He highlighted that many students are struggling due to delays in the State’s fee reimbursement programme. Given this situation, he questioned the need for a grand iftar and suggested that the money could be better spent on education and welfare.
He further noted that the government has not introduced any new welfare schemes for minorities. He pointed out that the Minorities Finance Corporation is struggling with a backlog of loan applications and that less than 14% of allocated funds have been used for fee reimbursements. Additionally, no tuition fee reimbursement applications have been approved for the 2024-25 academic year.
Mr Masood also mentioned that while the government had promised a sub-plan for minorities, symbolic events like an iftar do not help uplift the community economically. He urged the government to focus on serious interventions that directly address the needs of minority communities.
Meanwhile, some religious leaders have also raised concerns about the timing of the iftar. They pointed out that March 21 marks the martyrdom anniversary of Hazrat Imam Ali, an important day for both Shia and Sunni Muslims.
Mir Abbas Ali Moosvi, mutawalli of the Badshahi Ashoorkhana, suggested that the government choose a different date. He noted that Hyderabad itself was named after Hyder, a reference to Imam Ali, and that holding an iftar on his martyrdom anniversary would be inappropriate.
With increasing calls for the government to prioritise long-term welfare over ceremonial events, the final decision on the iftar is expected to draw significant public attention in the coming days.
