News Desk |
The Indians are reacting strongly on Twitter over the shortage of beverage Rooh Afza in India. Indians are expressing their displeasure over the unavailability of Rooh Afza, particularly the Muslim Community since the beverage is widely consumed in the month of Ramadan during Iftar.
Agar #RoohAfza ni mil Raha to rose sharbat/nibu Pani/normal water(best option) h faltu se chiz k itna bada issue Bana diye h Kuch log😂😂😂 oxygen supply band ni hoga rooh afza ni pine se https://t.co/vQXQORThAU
— ॐ SNEH SHARAN TRIKHA 🇮🇳 🇮🇳 (@SWIFTLILLY) May 8, 2019
Fretting over the unavailability of the beverage the Indian Muslims say their Iftar is incomplete without Rooh Afza. Indian Hindus are, however, recommending alternative drinks to fellow Indian Muslims. Soon Rooh Afza took to Twitter and assured its consumers that the production is in full swing and that it will soon be available in markets.
Now this is serious trouble!
Major Ramzan crisis for Indian Muslims — no Roohafza in the market
Shivam Vij @DilliDurAst reports: https://t.co/DMq1W3kXMh
— Shekhar Gupta (@ShekharGupta) May 7, 2019
An Indian Muslim journalist, Uzair Hasan Rizvi in his tweet wrote, “In Ramzan, #RoohAfza is to Muslims what Spinach is to Popeye.”
No. Its not a crisis for Indian Muslims. Its a crisis for all #RoohAfza loving Indians. Serious trouble. https://t.co/I1KpdawifE
— Yashwant Deshmukh 🇮🇳 (@YRDeshmukh) May 8, 2019
According to a story published in an Indian publication, “the sherbet has been off the market in India for last four to five months”.
Yup. You bet. I love it in milk and even home made Lassi. Just try it. Has been my favorite combination ever since I was a kid. #RoohAfza https://t.co/OqxfKhnmB8
— Yashwant Deshmukh 🇮🇳 (@YRDeshmukh) May 8, 2019
Officially, lack of raw material in India’s Hamdard laboratories has been declared reason behind the shortfall.
Can you prove it? Is there any pic or video of you as a kid drinking RoohAfza? Further, why can’t you drink Haldiram’s syrups? And why one shouldn’t factor in for a possibility that you’re doing a paid tweet on behalf of Hamdard? (no, Haldiram doesn’t pay, I pay them for bhujia)
— Rahul Roushan (@rahulroushan) May 8, 2019
Some users have expressed their annoyance over people fretting over the shortage of the drink. “Replace #RoohAfza by Haldiram rose syrup. Move from Hamdard to Haldiram” a twitterati wrote.
Replace #RoohAfza by haldiram rose syrup…move from hamdard to haldiram pic.twitter.com/DsxAXWsBaQ
— ——- (@teeetpetweet) May 8, 2019
In view of the current crisis, the CEO of Rooh Afza, Pakistan Usama Qureshi reached out to Rooh Afza India on Twitter and offered help endorsed by Senator Sherry Rehman.
In 1906, he opened a small shop in the by lanes of old Delhi and christened it #Hamdard, meaning ‘close companion’ and ‘sympathiser in pain’
— Muslim Voices India (@MuslimVoicesIN) August 13, 2016
Meanwhile, amid the frenzy, an Indian journalist Deepa Kurup retweeted a thread of an interesting story telling about history of Rooh Afza in subcontinent, shared on one Twitter account.
The bottle labels were therefore printed under special arrangement by the Bolton Press of the Parsees of Bombay (Mumbai). #Hamdard #RoohAfza
— Muslim Voices India (@MuslimVoicesIN) August 13, 2016
The Twitter thread stated that Rooh Afza was introduced in Indian before partition in 1906 in Delhi who belonged to the family of Unani practitioners.
Hakeem Hafiz Abdul Majeed opened a small shop in Delhi and 1906 and named the brand Hamdard, meaning ‘sympathizer’. He introduced a cooling medicinal syrup packaged in wine bottles. The owner of the brand “Hamdard Majeed” passed away in 1922 while his two sons took over his business.
His 14 year old son Abdul Hameed took charge, looking after expansion of work and younger brother Said’s education and upbringing.
— Muslim Voices India (@MuslimVoicesIN) August 13, 2016
The younger son, Hakim Said migrated to Pakistan during partition and started from scratch with just two rented rooms.
Hence, Hamdard and Rooh Afza are well-known in both India and Pakistan’s Muslim community.
Said started from scratch with two rented rooms and rented furniture. In 1953 he converted Hamdard into a Waqf for philanthropic purposes.
— Muslim Voices India (@MuslimVoicesIN) August 13, 2016