Angarika

Gadia Lohars say that when Mewar fell to Mughals after siege of Chittorgarh in 1568, they followed Maharana Pratap to the forests and took a vow never to return to their homes until the fort was reclaimed They say they were blacksmiths and weapon-makers in Maharana Pratap’s army, and that they also vowed never to settle in a permanent place or home or light a lamp in night. They started making bullock carts their homes, earning the title 'gadia' Since that time, much of the community has lived nomadic lives that continues to this day. The jaati is almost entirely Hindu Two weeks ago, from a Gadia Lohar basti of about 50 houses in Delhi's Azadpur, one Mohd Gulzar lured a young woman into a relationship, took her away, arranged for conversion-nikah and renamed her Ayesha, without anyone knowing It triggered enormous anger in the basti As I learnt, for a community whose collective memory is shaped by battle with Mughals, the possibility of one of its daughters being converted to Islam was very distressing So we got involved, and managed to bring the woman home. I personally visited the basti and counselled her. The entire community expressed gratitude Love Jihad is not some isolated pattern detached from history. It is and is seen as a legacy of invaders.