When 99 per cent Slaughterhouses are Licensed and Run by Govt, Why is the Livelihood & Food of Lakhs of Families Being Targeted: A Banaras Protest
 
Police intimidation and terror by the self-styled ‘Gau Rakshaks’ (cow vigilantes) have rendered lives of thousands in Banaras, mostly Muslim and Dalits
 
Thousands of persons, many or most Muslim, took to the streets in prime minister, Narendra Modi’s parliamentary constituency of Banaras demanding their constitutiuonal right to livelihood and life
 
In a substantial protest that wound its way from Nadesar to the office of the district administration, a joint protest by the Al Qureishi Welfare Society, Meat Vyapari, Mazdoor and Minority Samaj questioned the Yogi Adityananth’s policy vis a vis the meat and buffalo trade. They submitted a memorandum to the district administration addressed to the chief minister. After the rally concluded, a public meeting at the spot was addressed by Manish Sharma, Aman Akhtar, Arshad, Sarita Patel, Muniza Khan, Pragya and Anurag Pande.
 
The memorandum states that this crucial right to life and livelihood issue affects the rights of approximately 25 lakh persons in the entire state and documents that the steps taken by the Adityanath government in the past month since it assumed power had reduced these persons in UP to the verge of starvation.
 
Addressed to chief minister Yogi Adityanath, the memo urges that since
 
“Livelihood is our Constitutional Right and the (illegal) manner in which the crackdown on small slaughter establishments has been undertaken has rendered lakhs of persons on the verge of starvation.
 
The memorandum also urges that
“Until the process of regularization is not completed, until then an alternative locations and places for slaughtering should be immediately provided
 
“Thirdly, since the High Court (has in other petitions) ordered that all slaughterhouses should be regularized within three months, in Banaras too, slaughter houses should be allowed to rehularise within 3 months
 
The organizations who protested stated that
 
“We are also serious about environmental concerns but this question should not be at the cost of our livelihood and food. As you are aware our Constitution gives us this right, of life and livelihood.The Hon’ ble HC has also ruled on this issue and hence the district administration should follow this.
 
Hence we also to wish to bring to your attention, on the one hand our livelihood is affected and families are on the verge of starvation, we are also being harassed and intimidated by the police/ Plus organizations (non state actors)who are supremacist are using intimidartory tactics with us
 
We therefore demand that:
 
a) Police intimidation and harassment should top
b) Gau Raksha Dals should be Banned or Stopped from Operating with Impunity
 
“We wish to tell you that there has been no increase in the number of slaughter houses in the past years and there has been a sharp increase in the population.
 
“Hence we also demand that new slaughter houses are also allowed to be opened and older ones should be permitted to operate immediately
 
“Presently, to ensure guidelines and orders of the National Green Tribunal are followed, smaller businesses should be also given subsidies to upgrade like large businesses and the license procedure should be streamlined
 
“We also wish to draw attention to the fact that in the state of UP, 90 per cent of the slaughter houses are run by government. And hence the state government is answerable to the question why these have not been upgraded as far as NGT Guidelines are concerned.
 
“Is it just and fair that due to the tardy and questionable practices of the government and state, lakhs of families –depsite having licenses –are being deprived of their food and livelihood?
 
“Despite these factors we express the hope ‘Sab Ka Saath Sab Ka Vikas’ slogan will be followed in it’s true spirit.