Representation                       Image: Indian Express

Under the pretext of shutting down illegal slaughter houses dealing with buffalo meat (slaughter of cow or its progeny has been banned in UP for years), the UP police is targeting even those engaged in the sale of mutton or chicken. In response the affected meat trading community has launched an indefinite strike which is likely to gather more supporters on Monday. The strike leaders say an attempt is being made to draw in those who deal in the fish trade.

Even as the clampdown by the UP government has jeopardised the livelihood of lakhs engaged in the meat business, vegetable prices are expected to shoot up in the coming days.

“If Muslims were to stop trading in and consuming meat for a year it will bring the communalists’ to their senses”: Maulana Mehmood Madni

The police are terrorising people under cover of Yogi Adityanath government’s directive to shut down all illegal slaughter houses, abattoirs and butcher shops.

The Inquilab has received reports that even wedding parties are being raided by the cops. Muslims are being warned that strict action will be taken against the family head if any kind of meat is served to guests at a wedding.

As a result no chicken, mutton, curry or biryani is being served at Muslim marriages in the last few days. Harassed Muslims are complaining that police have been raiding wedding parties in cities and qasba towns. Following the police warning of stern action, only vegetarian food (poori-sabzi) is currently being served at Muslim weddings.  

Guests were about to join the baraat (wedding procession) of Mohammed Alam, son of Chuttan Qureishi in Sahawar qasba (Kasgunj district) on Sunday. The baraat was to proceed to the bride’s place in Ajhani qasba in Badayun district.

Just then the Sahawar police arrived at the bridegroom’s place to warn that no non-vegetarian food should be served at the wedding feast, else strict action will be taken.

Meanwhile, when the police raided the meat market in Kasgunj town on Sonday many retailers downed shutters and fled the scene. The raid was led by Vikrant Singh, in-charge Nadrai Gate police chowkey. Two of the traders, Abrar Ahmed and Saddam were detained, taken to the police chowkey. Their licences were inspected and they were warned them not to butcher goats or chicken in any open space.

Meat traders are gripped by fear psychosis because of police high-handedness.

Though forced to resort to an indefinite strike meat traders are in a dilemma as they are faced with a financial crisis. The police have chosen to extend the government’s directive of shutting down illegal slaughter of buffaloes to even those trading in mutton and chicken.

Because of this those selling chicken have joined the indefinite strike since Saturday.

A representative of the Lucknow Mutton Traders Association, Mubeen Qureishi told Inquilab that lakhs of people engaged in the trade in UP have been adversely affected. He stated that while those selling mutton and chicken have already joined the strike, attempts are now being made to get fish traders also to join the protest. They will be joining us soon, he added.

The meat traders claim that meat and chicken markets are now deserted with no fresh stock arriving from neighbouring  districts. They added that mutton shops have also shutdown in the neighbouring districts of Hamirpur, Banda and Barabanki. The fear now is that vegetable prices might skyrocket in the coming days affecting the entire population.

Aslam Zaidi, president of the Co-operative Society of Poultry Farm Owners has strongly protested against the clampdown on sale of chickens. He maintained that there are numerous retailers who deal only in chicken yet they too are being targeted. In a memorandum to the chief minister Yogi Adityanath, he has appealed for urgent directions in this regard, else the traders and their families will face starvation.

He pointed out that any disruption in the chicken trade directly affects poultry farm owners because they are in no position to stock chicken or eggs once they are ready for sale.

UP stands at the eighth place in the country in the production of eggs and at the third spot in the production of broiler chicken.

The president of the Awadh Poultry Owners Association, Mohammed  Feroz too has written to the chief minister pointing out that once the broiler chicken are ready they have a remaining life cycle of just 45 days. In view of the same, he has appealed for urgent action by the government failing which the poultry owners will have to bear massive losses.

Meanwhile, in another report, Inquilab also quoted the general secretary of the Jamiatul-ulema-e-Hind, Maulana Mehmood Madni advising Muslims to stop trading in and consuming meat for a year. “The issue of meat is not just a Muslim issue. It has implications for the livelihood of agriculturists cutting across religious communities”, he reportedly stated at a Khwaja Ajmeri and Sufi Saints Conference in Kanpur.

“If Muslims were to stop trading in and consuming meat for a year it will bring the communalists’ to their senses”, he claimed.

Even assuming Muslims were to stop consuming meat for a year, how will the lakhs of Muslims depdent on the meat trade for their livelihood will survive for an entire year was not addressed by Madni.
 

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Within days of UP’s newly-elected chief minister Yogi Adityanath declaring a crackdown on slaughterhouses, three butcher shops were gutted in Hathras town even as the police have swung into action across the state. Arson by cow vigilantes has not been ruled out in the burning down of the Hathras shops.

A front-page news published in the Urdu daily Inquilab has reported that police have shutdown slaughterhouses and illegal butcher shops across numerous cities in UP, including Ghazipur, Gorakhpur, Gonda, Kannauj, Hardoi, Kanpur, Varanasi, Jaunpur and Azamgarh. Being targeted are not only slaughter houses and butcher shops selling buffalo meat but even those selling mutton and chicken, according to reports.

Meanwhile a news portal reports that illegal slaughter houses and meat shops were sealed by the police in Lucknow, the state capital.

Here below is an English translation of the Inquilab report:

No sooner has Yogi Adityanath taken charge of UP after a thumping BJP victory in the Assembly polls, that he has targeted the food habits of the state’s minorities. In his very first directive as chief minister, he has ordered a clampdown on illegal slaughter houses across the state. And the police have been swift in enforcing the directive. Reports from different cities indicate that the police crackdown on slaughter houses and butcher shops has created an atmosphere of fear and terror among those engaged in the business, Muslims and non-Muslims alike.

In Ghazipur, one slaughter house and several shops have reportedly been sealed by the administration. The crackdown has continued for the second successive day in Gorakhpur with one slaughter house and many shops being shut down. Locals have complained that even shops selling mutton, chicken and fish are not being spared.

Slaughter of cows and its progeny have been banned in UP but those engaged in the buffalo meat business too are being targeted. The new CM reportedly wants to ban the slaughter of buffaloes as well.

The administration claims that its actions are only against illegal slaughter houses and butcher shops where the licenses have expired.

In Gonda, 12 shops have been shut down in the meat market. Similar action has been taken against one shop in Kannauj, four in Hardoi, three in Kanpur, three shops and one slaughter house in Maunath Bhanjan.

In Varanasi, the parliamentary constituency of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, the crackdown has continued for the third successive day. In Jaunpur, 12 shops have been sealed and orders have been issued for the shutdown of slaughter houses in the city’s vicinity. In Azamgarh, too, several shops have been ordered shut.

Following the shutdown of all slaughter houses in Gorakhpur, the Qureshi community demonstrated before the district collector’s office on Wednesday. They threatened to take to the streets unless a solution was found to restore their means of livelihood.

The strict action launched by the administration has generated uncertainty and fear among butchers who trade only in mutton. Meanwhile, taking advantage of the situation, poultry traders have increased the price of chicken.
 

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