As the Municipal Corporation of Delhi (MCD) sealed the buffalo section of Idgah,it meant curtains for the abattoir which had been providing livelihood to many over the years. By afternoon,the place resembled a deserted township. In corners,men sat idly,drinking tea and wondering what lay ahead. Mohammed Jameel Qureshi,who has been working at Idgah for the last two decades,said: I used to buy two to three goats every day and sell them in the market. With the Ghazipur slaughterhouse being over 15 kms away,whatever I earn will be lost in transportation. Smalltime traders and butchers like Qureshi will bear the brunt of the move to Ghazipur. And about 3,000 people are expected to lose their jobs as a result of the move. The question most ask is why the Idgah has not been modernised? For years,we have been asking for facilities, said Nadeem Qureshi,a butcher who slaughtered buffaloes at the Idgah. At election time,they promised improvements,but nothing materialised in the last 10 years. Most of the butchers live in Quresh Nagar,a cramped neighbourhood a stones throw from the Idgah. And most have been in the meat trade for generations. Every family lives under a cloud of anxiety,most too stunned to even begin thinking ahead. Sarvar Qureshi (65) is almost on the verge of tears. She lives with her 21-year-old grandson Hashim,who was employed at the Idgah. We had a little bit now even that is being snatched away, she said. We have nowhere to go,as my grandson is not skilled in any other profession. Our whole communitys bread and butter is tied to this profession. On a weekday like this,Quresh Nagar is usually bustling,absorbed in the business of buying and selling meat. But Thursday was no ordinary day. Everywhere,men rendered unemployed overnight sat brooding. Most agreed that a boost in crime will be the likely fallout of the current situation.
