Muslims of Hyderabad pay crores of rupees of Zakat in the month of Ramadan. But it is also a bitter reality that there are several such Muslim localities in the historical city of Hyderabad where lives of poor families revolve around moneylenders and ‘rahen centres’. The money lenders are sucking the blood of poor Muslims families. When talked to owners of some rahen centres it was revealed that only in 4 rahen centres in Kalapathar, Tadbun, Tigalkunta and Nawab Saheb Kunta, 600 Muslim families have borrowed money on interest by pledging gold and silver jewellery. The owners of rahen centres are exploiting poor and helpless Muslim families.
Almost all the rahen centre owners belong to Marwadi community and hail from Rajasthan. They told that with the beginning of Ramadan many families borrow money on interest to invest it in business during Ramadan and they return the money after Eid. Many others borrow money for treatment, daughters’ marriage or to pay house rent etc. Generally men do not come to borrow money instead they send their wives for the dealing.
Babulal owner of a Rahen centre revealed that 80 percent people repay the loan and get the gold released but unfortunately 20 percent, unable to pay the debt, fail to redeem the jewellery and lose the articles.
Abu Aimal