In New Delhi, as in many Indian cities, Muslim communities are largely confined to high-density, segregated neighbourhoods. Life in these urban ghettos is shaped by chronic shortages—overstretched infrastructure, inadequate civic amenities, and a built environment that leaves little breathing space.
Delhi’s winters, increasingly defined by hazardous air quality, introduce a quieter but no less pressing challenge for the residents of these ghettos. For residents, accessing warmth and light requires a daily effort: stepping out of their homes, scanning street corners, and waiting patiently for the sun to appear.
These acts are both practical and poignant. They are improvised responses to a recognised shortage. They also serve as a visual reminder of how, for minorities in India, spatial marginalisation shapes even the most intimate routines of everyday life.
Hyder Habib is a filmmaker and photographer, splitting his time between Delhi and Kashmir. Bilal Ahmad Tantray is a doctoral scholar researching spatial and corporeal politics in South Asia.
