There is a whole different world I encountered on the road that begins near the Fatima Jinnah Road (formerly Gidu Bandar Road, and also known as Thandi Sarak) and ends near the Hyderabad Press Club.

It is hard to miss the men and women sitting on footpaths on either side of this road, creating craft from reed and bamboo sticks. You’ll see their handiwork spread out beside them: chairs, blinds, tables and wall-decorations.

This is a common sight for the residents of Hyderabad; they frequent these roadside artisans with specific designs and detail for custom-made furniture and house decorations.

The exhibition of their handiwork speaks volumes of their talent. But who are these people? And why do they spend their days on the city’s footpaths?

This group of talented individuals call themselves ‘Jogi’. Fascinatingly, these people have a diverse set of roots, hailing from places such as Rajasthan and Gujarat in India and Tharparkar in Pakistan. Jogi is a colloquial term for Yogi, a Sanskrit word. The word Jogi suggests a sense of hermitage and religious devotion, but in this context, Jogi refers to the community itself. Seemingly, they have adopted this title after decades of being together.

Mostly, the families are Hindus. According to them, their forefathers used to have their own houses in the area where they currently live, but those were taken away from them.

Land belonging to them was snatched, and tall buildings were erected where their homes once stood. Initially, they were promised reimbursements but literally decades have passed and no help has been offered.

Life is difficult for these craftsmen. Narang Das, one of the members of the settlement, spoke about the issues they face, “It is difficult to live in these conditions. We have been promised so much but nothing has happened. We want to live better lives.”

They spend their nights in tiny quarters. With so little space, it especially gets difficult to get any sleep in the summers. A few of them then come back to sleep on the pavements.

Ashok, another member of the Jogi settlement, remarked that he doesn’t see much hope. He, along with a few other men, want to leave Pakistan and settle somewhere in India and start a new life.

The constant social pressures are only adding to their misery. Ashok also said that their grandparents lived respectable lives, and they were here before the creation of Pakistan. Sadly, no one wants to listen to their stories.

Stories of how they create beautiful crafts on footpaths under a scorching sun all day to feed their families. How their children, who could be studying in schools and universities, now have to work alongside their parents. Ashok also expressed his disappointment in the government of Sindh, which promised free education to their children, and never delivered.

On the footpaths, they wait for customers. There are long stretches of days when they won’t get even one order, and when such a time comes, they pick up their handiwork and walk through the streets of Hyderabad, hoping to sell some.

There is also a Christian family in the settlement. Their roots are Goan. While talking to Leon, one of the children of the family, I learned that they speak fluent English, apart from Urdu, at home.

It is indeed saddening to see how these people are being treated in the land where their grandparents once lived.

Considered of no importance by their countrymen, their struggle continues, as their hopes diminish.

—Photos by author

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Syed Zeeshan Ahmed loves exploring the past and beyond.

He blogs at www.iamzeeshan.blogspot.com. And tweets @ImZeesh.