Sehr Khan during the midnight wake-up call in Srinagar’s old city. Picture by Abdul Qayoom

Srinagar, Oct. 9: In the uneasy lull of the small hours, they arrive with a thunderclap. Every day for a month, on every road, almost every lane in Kashmir, at a time of night when nobody dares venture out.

The Sehr Khans beat their drums and play on their flutes to wake the faithful, reminding them to have sehri — the pre-dawn ritual meal in Ramazan.

“I do it because I consider it my religious duty. If I can help somebody keep their fast for God, what better reward can I have,’’ says Mohammad Ramzan Mir, 54, who braves the threat of violence every day to wake up no less than 40,000 people.

“I have passed through hundreds of crackdowns, search operations and even encounters between security forces and militants.” he says.

Mir has been at it for 24 years. He starts around 3 am, and for two hours walks past one locality after another.

“Wakhte saher yani bhi wothus tani gow paher (it’s the time to wake up; it’s been long since I got up),” he exhorts people.

When he started, there was no violence in Kashmir. “I began at downtown (Srinagar’s old city),’’ he recalls. “After 1990, it became extremely difficult. Stepping out of my home was like inviting death but I never stopped.’’

Not every Sehr Khan is so brave. Manzoor Ahmad from Hazratbal’s outskirts gave it up after being thrashed by the security forces.

“I used to earn my livelihood from the job but my family forced me to give it up, fearing I may lose my life’’, he says. “The forces opened fire at a Sehr Khan at Habba Kadal, and this also scared my family.”

At the end of Ramazan, the Sehr Khans receive gifts in cash and kind.

For Mir, too, it hasn’t been a smooth journey. He had a narrow escape when the security forces shot at him.

“It was the time when downtown was full of militants and the forces would accuse me of passing on information to them about their positions,’’ Mir said.

He survived the attack but was arrested. “I was tortured. After that I decided to shift to Gaw Kadal (Srinagar’s civil lines area).”

He continues to move around the volatile localities of Maisuma, Barbarshah and Koker Bazar. He has good memories, too.

“One day I was stopped at Budshah bridge by BSF men. They wanted to know what I was doing and I told them it is Ramazan and I am waking people up,” Mir remembers. “Then they told me to start beating the drum and all of them started dancing around me.”

Deputy inspector-general Farooq Ahmad said the Sehr Khans are keeping alive an interesting Kashmiri tradition.

“We have always allowed them to do their job. Before Ramazan, we briefed the CRPF men in the city not to stop them,” he said. “We are encouraging it because it is a sign of normality.”