Samyuktha Patil is a devout follower of the 12th Century religious and social reformer Basaveshwara, but religious faith has not deterred her from observing roza (dawn-to-dusk fast) in the month of Ramzan.
Daughter of Congress MLA from Basavanabagewadi and former Minister Shivanand Patil, this law graduate from Vijayapura has been observing roza during Ramzan for eight years in a row.
Ms. Samyuktha says that the inspiration for this act came from her uncle Shivasharan Patil, who is elder brother of Mr. Shivanand Patil. “I remember my uncle observing roza during Ramzan for over two decades or more. I was fascinated by it, but never felt like doing it myself back then. But eight years ago, I decided to start it. I have continued it since then,” she said.
Though she does not perform any other Muslim religious practices such as offering Namaz, Ms. Samyuktha is very strict about keeping the Sehri (starting of fasting) and Iftar (ending of fasting) timings. “I get up at around 4 a.m. for Sehri. After that, my next meal is only during Iftar,” she says.
Asked why she performs Roza which has nothing to do with her religion, Ms. Samyuktha says that the practice gives her a “strange, inexplicable satisfaction.” She adds that the ideology of Basaveshwara does not distinguish between caste or religion. None of her family members have ever objected to her performing Roza.
