News Desk |
Rooh Afza has been the South Asian household’s favorite staple drink. It is the symbol of Iftar’s nourishment. Pakistanis and Indians, at least, cannot imagine a world where there is an Iftar without Rooh Afza. Following recent developments, however, it seems as if Indian Muslims will be going without the rose flavored drink this Ramadan.
There are no clear reasons as to why production of Rooh Afza has stopped. As the Indian Hamdard’s ownership comes into play, the dispute is reported to be over the chair of Chief Mutawalli (equivalent to CEO) of Hamdard, which is currently held by Abdul Majeed, the great-grandson of Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed, the Unani medicine practitioner who founded the company in old Delhi over a century ago. The company also owns traditional medicine brands such as Safi, Cinkara, Masturin, and Joshina.
Abdul Majeed’s cousin Hammad Ahmed has been trying to take over the company, claiming rightful inheritance. He even went to court for it, and the legal battle puts a stop to the production of RoohAfza, sources quoted by local press.
The heartwarming gesture by the Hamdard CEO and Pakistani Twitterati standing in solidarity has taken the internet by storm and international media are hailing the move.
Hamdard is registered as an irrevocable Islamic trust, known as a waqf, and under its rules, transfers 85 percent of its profits to the Hamdard National Foundation, an educational charity. The foundation runs, among other institutions, the Jamia Hamdard University in Delhi. The deemed university has the distinction of running the only private medical college in Delhi, and this valued institution, sources say, is a major reason for the family dispute.
Brother @DilliDurAst, we can supply #RoohAfza and #RoohAfzaGO to India during this Ramzan. We can easily send trucks through Wahga border if permitted by Indian Government.
— Usama Qureshi (@UsamaQureshy) May 7, 2019
Following reports of the shortage in India, CEO Hamdard Pakistan, Usama Qureshi tweeted: “We can supply RoohAfza and RoohAfzaGO to India during this Ramzan. We can easily send trucks through Wahga border if permitted by Indian Government.”
The heartwarming gesture by the Hamdard CEO and Pakistani Twitterati standing in solidarity has taken the internet by storm and international media are hailing the move.
Twitteratis from India have continuously been tweeting about the shortage claiming their Ramadan season to be ruined if not supplied with Rooh Afza. Known media personalities pitched in and talked of their love for Rooh Afza. Some talked of its sweetness when mixed with milk and others called the shortage a major problem.
Read more: Twitter reacts strongly to the shortage of Rooh Afza in India
Officially, shortage of raw material in Hamdard laboratories in India was declared the reason which caused the sherbet to disappear from the shelves but some talk of a bigger agenda revolving around family feuds.