A collective of bouncers in Hyderabad has alleged that Muslim professionals are being denied work at Dandiya events during the Navratri season, raising concerns over discrimination and loss of livelihood.
Mohammed Feroz, who is part of a 200-member collective of bouncers, said several members had been told that Muslims were no longer welcome to work at some Dandiya events in the city.
“Earlier, we used to get contracts for most of the Dandiya events across the city. This year, most of my colleagues have been told that Muslims are no longer welcome to work as bouncers,” Feroz told The Hindu.
Feroz said he leads a team of 10 people, some of whom are not Muslims, and questioned how he would continue paying them if the team lost its work during the festival season.
Bouncers Say Their Work Is About Security
Feroz said bouncers are hired for crowd management and safety and generally do not interact with guests or participate in the events.
“Our work involves crowd management and safety. The only things required for this line of work is personality, good physique and experience. We don’t even enter the venue for anything or interact with the guests,” he said.
He also recalled Hyderabad’s tradition of what is commonly described as Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb and said the situation was unusual for the city.
“Hyderabad was never like this. We have what is called the Ganga-Jamuni tehzeeb. This is strange,” Feroz said.
Salige Prabhakar, who has worked as a bouncer for around 10 years, said bookings for Dandiya events generally begin at least a month in advance.
“The bookings start at least a month before the Dandiya events in Hyderabad. There are thousands of events that are lined up but now many of the organisers are saying we don’t want Muslim bouncers,” Prabhakar said.
He said the alleged discrimination could affect not only Muslim bouncers but also the wider workforce employed by them.
‘Discrimination Began in 2024’
Prabhakar alleged that the practice began on a smaller scale in 2024 but had become more explicit this year.
“This discrimination began in a small way in 2024 but now they are openly saying ‘no Muslims’,” he said.
According to Prabhakar, some organisers have also asked workers to wear a bottu, a traditional forehead mark commonly worn during Hindu religious and cultural celebrations. He said some bouncers comply while others choose not to wear it.
Prabhakar also claimed that Muslim bouncers make up a significant share of the workforce in the city and warned that excluding them could create a shortage of trained personnel for the events.
Dandiya celebrations, which originated largely in western India, have expanded to cities across the country and now include large commercial events featuring music, performances and celebrity appearances.
The bouncers have called on the Telangana government, Chief Minister and police to intervene and ensure that workers are not denied employment on the basis of their religion.
Feroz said the issue was ultimately about livelihoods and urged authorities to take steps to prevent the alleged discrimination.
