New Delhi: As the holy month of fasting begins, Indian Muslims are faced with a crisis much bigger than the Ramzan-versus-Ramadan debate — there’s no RoohAfza in the market.
Breaking the fast in the evening, iftar, has traditionally consisted of pakoras, fruit chaat, dates and RoohAfza. An iftari without RoohAfza is just not the same, at least for North Indian Muslims.
#ramzan without #roohafza at iftaar is unimaginable. My 8 years old has been looking around for it for the past 3 days in all shops. Seems there is shortage of supply #hamdard 🏺@roohafzaindia
— Anisa Draboo (@Drabooanisa) May 7, 2019
@RoohAfzaIndia Why is there no RoohAfza in the market? It’s not even available online!
— Ashfaq Malik (@ashfakmalik) May 6, 2019
In this Ramadan we miss roohafza becoz
Hamdard me kuch accha nahi chal raha
Market me supply hi nahi hai
From chhatisgarh
— Md sakib akhtar (@MdSakibAkhtar1) May 6, 2019
RoohAfza, the sherbet made by Hamdard Laboratories, has been off the market for four to five months now, and is not available at online stores.
Production has restarted only recently, said one of the directors of Hamdard, Mufti Shaukat.
“RoohAfza will be back soon,” he said.
A receptionist at the Hamdard office gave an estimate of 15-20 days before the sherbet is back on the market.
Hamdard put out no official word on why it stopped production, but tried blaming it on the shortage of “raw material”. The truth, a source claimed, has to do with a family dispute.
What the dispute is about
The dispute is 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 put a stop to the production of RoohAfza, sources said.
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Hamdard is registered as an irrevocable Islamic trust, known as a waqf, and under its rules, transfers 85 per cent of its profits to the Hamdard National Foundation, an educational charity. The foundation runs, among other institutions, the Jamia Hamdard 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.
The battle went straight up to the Supreme Court, which in its judgment on 3 April, refused to give interim directorship to Ahmed.
No comment on why production stopped
RoohAfza’s social media accounts have been dormant since September 2018, only coming out of the deep on Facebook recently to say they’re “overwhelmed by the love” shown by their patrons, hinting the sherbet will be back in the market soon.
Asked why production had stopped and for how long, director Shaukat refused to comment, while Chief Mutawalli Abdul Majeed did not answer calls and messages.
Sources said the production of RoohAfza has restarted only under pressure from Muslims in view of Ramzan, and not because the legal dispute has reached any resolution. There have even been rumours of RoohAfza shutting down.
Pakistan’s gain
Founder Hakeem Hafiz’s younger son Hakeem Mohammed Said had migrated to Pakistan and established Hamdard Laboratories Waqf Pakistan soon after Partition.
This entity has been an indirect beneficiary of the legal dispute raging in India, since the sales of imported Pakistani RoohAfza have shot up. Although it’s not readily available in stores, the Pakistani version is selling for over Rs 375 a bottle, as against Rs 145 for the one manufactured in Ghaziabad.
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
Hamdard’s plans to modernise its business and grow its revenues have been stalled due to the dispute. Meanwhile, Pakistani Hamdard is growing by leaps and bounds, having given a production licence in Bangladesh and dominating global exports of RoohAfza. It has even launched a carbonated version of RoohAfza in Pakistan, called RoohAfza Go.
#PIA serving carbonated #RoohAfzaGO pic.twitter.com/qDfx1qr3BZ
— Umar Iqbal ® (@MrUmarIqbal) May 2, 2019
It’s what we all drank as children in India ( irrespective of religion) it has nostalgia attached. Gr8 concept of building an iconic company for charity.
I am happy The Print has not blamed the Modi government
Production for our favourite #RoohAfza is on in full swing at our factories. #RoohAfza is now available everywhere… across grocery and retail stores.
RoohAfza is available all across India now. You can also buy it on Amazon India and Grofers and from Hamdard Wellness Centres. This news is false and based on complete hearsay! Go ahead and enjoy the drink in summers !
Now please do not create a sense as if it is a Muslim drink… Irrespective of any thing We all take this popular drink during summers… Another product of Humdard Safi most popular among tenage girls.
Rooh Afzais an iconic drink linked to Non Cooperation moment of Independent struggle
Indian rooh afza rocks!! No more do companies become waqfs- now it is only the era of greed and consumer pillaging. Hats off to such an amazing idea to make a company a self-sustaining charity for the community! Sad that family quibbles stop good works.
I am surprised that Mr Vij hasn’t blamed Modi for the problem.
Maybe in a subsequent article, he will come up with something bizarre as he is apt to.
I live in France and can easily find the Pakistani roohafza in the desi shops here. it should be the same anywhere else too. But i would like to point out that the roohafza we get in India is of much superior quality and this is the product that should be everywhere in the world not the Pakistani one:(
What’s big deal to give it news status
It’s a cultural icon and a refreshing sugary drink. After fasting for ~16 hours, body needs carbohydrates. But carbonated drinks are not advised on a nearly empty stomach. The taste is quite refreshing too, and helps cool the body down when served chilled.