If there is anything about Hyderabad that is holding the city back, it is its hypocrisy when it comes to morality. As great as Hyderabad is to live in, it lags behind cities like Mumbai, Bengaluru or even Delhi in terms of how conservative it is, especially when it comes to women.
And this serpent of morality came out to bite last week when a group of women organised a cultural Qawwali event. The fact that women were enjoying themselves became a symbol of their “shamelessness”
This should not have even been an issue, no one violated any laws, no one caused harm.
The Qawwali was for women, organised by women. But Muslim men were still unhappy because the singers and the security personnel were men.
But this policing is how Muslim society works against women. Men bring up this issue of morality and religiosity anytime women do anything conservative uncles don’t like.
This reminds me of an incident from my 20s. I was going to meet a friend, a Muslim from one of the older families in the city. Since it was early morning, I was wearing shorts and did not think much of it. While I was waiting for my friend, his uncle who lived next door saw me, asked me who I was and then went on to reprimand me for wearing shorts “because there were women around”.
I did not think much of it, but it made me realise that conservative men will do anything to ensure that nothing they dislike is around.
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Let women be
Hyderabad may have a glorious history, with the Qutb Shahi dynasty and the later Nizams indulging in all sorts of behaviour that today’s Muslim men would deem immoral, but at its core the city is still deeply conservative and problematic.
This particular problem worsens as you venture into the older parts of the city. It’s a strange issue to have, considering the government champions Hyderabad as a modern global city.
How is that true if the city shuts down a group of Muslim women who just wanted to get together and have some fun?
I have female students from the city who do their best to stay out of their homes because this conservative mindset stifles them. Which is why a Qawwali event exclusively for women is an important one.
The organiser even had to shift venues and dates because the police denied permission for the first event. All because some conservative Muslim men declared that women are not allowed to dance.
Someone remind these people that many Muslim rulers of Hyderabad, including the founders and the later Nizams, indulged in alcohol and other “immoral” acts. I only see praise for them. It’s time we moved past the hypocrisy and let the women of our city live in peace.
Yunus Lasania is a Hyderabad-based journalist whose work primarily focuses on politics, history and culture. He posts on X @YunusLasania. Views are personal.
(Edited by Theres Sudeep)