Irked over move to change ‘tabarrukh’ menu, Shia Muslims meet deputy CM

Upset over alleged move to change the menu of ‘tabarrukh’ (food distributed among the poor and needy during Moharram), Shia Muslims approached deputy chief minister Dinesh Sharma and demanded his immediate intervention into the matter.

“Nobody has the right to change what has been written in the will of the third king of Oudh, Mohammed Ali Shah, who laid the foundation of the Hussainabad and Allied Trust (HAT),” said Meesam Rizvi, president of Azadaari Board. DM is the custodian of the trust while additional district magistrate (ADM) west is the secretary. Rizvi, who approached the deputy CM said, “The trust this time issued a notice to change the menu of tabarrukh , a part of 10-day Moharrum ritual, which is purely against the tradition and we won’t tolerate it.”

Rizvi said, initially there used to be khameeri roti, salan (curry), dal and sheermal. “But it has come to our knowledge that the trust is planning to distribute only sheermaal in tabarrukh that is against the will,” he added.

It has also irked the royal families of Awadh, who complained of the undue interference in religious matters. “Nobody has the right to change the will and if it is in the will it has to be followed,” said Farhana Maliki, who is president of Begamat Royal Family of Awadh. She said she has also written to the Governor asking his intervention. However, DM Kaushal Raj Sharma who is also the custodian of HAT, denied of making any changes in the menu. “Initially, we were thinking to change the menu as there was no mention of menu or tabarrukh in the will. But then we decided to stick to the old menu after some people opposed the change,” he said.

Only change, Sharma said, HAT has done this time is give the responsibility of preparing the food meant to the third party. “We are going to float the tenders for the same. It has been done to maintain the transparency in the whole system,” he added.