"These days, people keep visiting the shops till the sehri time (pre-dawn)," said Zubair.
Culture of iftar parties
India's capital New Delhi, known for political hustle and bustle, is historically also famous for grand iftar parties hosted by politicians across the board, which used to work as a platform for different communities in plural India to meet and bond.
No less than persons like the president, prime minister, and other dignitaries across the political spectrum used to host such parties.
But since 2014, when the rightist Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) assumed power, the culture of iftar parties has dried up in India.
"It has created an impact because of the anti-Muslim environment which we are seeing in the country. Iftar parties used to be an opportunity to celebrate this important occasion with our brothers in the country who are not Muslims," Niyaz Farooqui, secretary of Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind, India's largest socio-religious Muslim organization, told Anadolu Agency.
"But now bridges are being broken and distances are being created among the communities. This is the reason why we are seeing lesser Iftar parties now at all levels," he added.
Veteran Indian journalist Qurban Ali said the iftar parties also used to have political significance and for many journalists would become a source of news as well.
"Through these parties, one would know more about the developing political situations, especially in times of coalition governments, like heavyweight politicians attended a particular iftar party, who are friends of who, etc... that would become a news ...," he said.
Ali said the overall growing narrative against the Muslims is the reason behind the vanishing iftar parties.
