Ramazan with rationality

The attack, allegedly by members of an extremist religious group, on one of the emergency centres set up by the Sukkar Municipal Corporation in the city to provide immediate assistance to those suffering heatstroke or other heat-related ailments is alarming. These emergency centres have been established with temperatures in the city soaring from 40 to 47 degrees Centigrade over the coming days. One of these centres had been receiving threats for some days over its provision of water to those afflicted by heat, and warnings were issued that this was a violation of the Ehteram-e-Ramazan Ordinance. The SMC refused to act, leading to the attack during which staff were beaten up. Following this, all the five centres in the city have been closed down pending discussion and decisions at a higher level.

This is alarming for obvious reasons. Water can be essential to saving lives in cases of heatstroke and sometimes in other circumstances. The lack of availability of water in June 2015, when over 1,200 people died in Karachi after being afflicted by heat, led to fatalities. But we should not really need such warnings. Inherent in Ramazan itself is the idea of tolerance, patience and acceptance that fasting should not be a licence to kill. Denying water to a person suffering heatstroke could essentially lead to swift demise. Surely this is not what our religion teaches us. There have also been reports of elderly persons being beaten up in cities in Punjab for failing to fast. Naturally, respect needs to be given to those observing the fast. But we should also remember that this is a matter of individual choice. Many are exempted from fasting on the basis of their belief, health, age and other circumstances. Surely allowing a child, an old person or a pregnant woman to take a few sips of water should not in any way infringe upon the religious beliefs of a person who is fasting.

What is genuinely dangerous is the resort to violence. The emergency centres in Sukkar and elsewhere in Sindh have no direct link to the month of Ramazan. The decision to set them up stemmed from previous deaths in Sindh due to poor preparations to manage heat and news that a heatwave would be hitting Karachi and other parts of Sindh during May. The decision should have been welcomed by all. The fact that it was made controversial points to growing extremism in society and the consequences of this which in the worst cases could be avoidable death.