Scroll.in has reported that Manish Raj Singh Bhadoriya, the in-charge of the city’s Habibganj police station to have stated that, “The men got into a violent confrontation after they taunted each other over the election results. Farukh has a criminal record and charges under the NSA (National Security Act) have been slapped against him.”

According to ETV Bharat, senior BJP leaders from Madhya Pradesh, including foremost chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan and the party’s state president VD Sharma, had visited Thakur in the hospital and had assured him that strict action would be taken against his alleged attackers. BJP leaders, after visiting Thakur in the hospital, had also organised protests and demanded severe action against the accused.

The state has seen demolition of Muslim homes in the earlier rule of BJP’s Shivraj Singh Chauhan as well. The state’s new Chief Minister on Thursday had also announced a plan for ban on the “open” sale of meat without licences in the state. Following which, according to ANI, ten “illegal” meat shops were demolished on Thursday, December 14, by the Ujjain Municipal Corporation as they were reportedly running without permission. Additional Commissioner Radheshyam Mandloi also assured that further teams are being deployed to tackle the issue for the entire city.

The newly appointed Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav, took office on December 13, performing a puja in his chamber at the state secretariat in Bhopal after the swearing-in ceremony. Earlier in the day, the minister, who represents the Ujjain South constituency, had also visited the renowned Mahakaleshwar temple. In one of his initial actions as the newly appointed Chief Minister of Madhya Pradesh, Mohan Yadav on Thursday enforced a ban on loudspeakers at religious gatherings and public spaces at certain timings. Additionally, he has also proposed the soon to arrive implementation of a ban on the open sale of meat without a licence. In addition to that, the state has also extended a welcome to devotees heading to Ayodhya for the inauguration ceremony of the Ram temple scheduled for January 22, 2024. Special arrangements are being made in the areas bordering Uttar Pradesh to ensure comfortable travel for these travellers.

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“Bulldozer raj” in Chhattisgarh too?

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The post Madhya Pradesh: One day after BJP’s victory, Muslim homes and meat shops demolished appeared first on SabrangIndia.

This abrupt intervention has drawn complaints from the local shopkeepers, who claim that the team conducted the demolition without any prior notice or due process. In addition to that reports allege that the shops that were demolished were selectively those of Muslims. 

In #Chhattisgarh‘s #Raipur, as soon as the #BJPGovt was formed, bulldozer ran on many shops, all the shops belonged to people of #Muslim Community.#ChhattisgarhElectionResults pic.twitter.com/MCX545ZUQi

— Hate Detector (@HateDetectors) December 5, 2023

Furthermore, according to local news outlet, Nai Duniya, the situation witnessed women students from Salem Girls School protesting against these shops. Carrying placards, these students demanded the removal of the shops, arguing that the shops were creating chaos on the street near their school.  The school administration has stated that the students had made several complaints regarding the shop but nothing had been addressed until now. 

The students complained that there were about 50 shops which sold food such as omelette, chicken, and meat, and these shops would run till late night and were frequented by scores of youth everyday which created disturbances. The men sometimes, they allege, even climbed the walls of the school, drank alcohol there, and left the bottles around. 

Earlier in April this year, the BJP, then in opposition, had claimed that Chhattisgarh under  Congress rule  has seen  criminals getting bold. The party promised action by bulldozer against such entities if it were voted to power. 

The BJP governments have been noted for their targeted use of demolitions against Muslim properties and also a targeted campaign against the public sale of meat. At election rallies nearby, UP chief minister Yogi Adityanath had reportedly placed bulldozers at his rally as icons; under his government the homes of several Muslims have been demolished. This has been seen as an attempt to instil fear in dissidents against the government, as many of homes demolished belonged to people who had protested against the government.

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The post “Bulldozer raj” in Chhattisgarh too? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Bareilly, Uttar Pradesh

Members of the Rashtriya Bajrang Dal, an extremist  Hindu organisation, carried out raids on Muslim-owned meat shops, forcing them to shut down. A video recorded and uploaded by Hindutva Watch captures the unsettling scenes, where these individuals are seen entering the shops and coercing the owners to close their businesses.

Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Local authorities in Ujjain attempted to close and remove Muslim meat shops, citing potential offence to the sentiments of Mahakal devotees. A video circulating on social media shows concerned civilians pleading with the officials, trying to negotiate against the closure of their shops. Some Muslim city council members arrived on the scene to oppose the move.

Location: Ujjain, Madhya Pradesh

Local authorities tried to close and remove Muslim meat shops claiming it could hurt the sentiments of Mahakal devotees.

Some Muslim city council members reached the spot to oppose the move. pic.twitter.com/Zzgln5Pl6D

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) July 9, 2023

Najafgarh, Delhi

Members of the Vishwa Hindu Parishad-Bajrang Dal visited multiple meat shops, asserting their authority and demanding compliance with the mandatory closure of shops on Tuesdays, claiming the need to honour “Hindu sentiments.” A video posted online reveals their “Jagrukta Abhyaan” or awareness campaign, with participation from the Parshad of the Roshanara ward, as they go around instructing shop owners to close their establishments.

Muzaffarpur, Bihar

Bajrang Dal members forcibly closed a meat shop and issued threats to shut down all such shops located near temples, schools, and hospitals. The incident, documented in a video, showcases the intimidation tactics employed by these individuals which ended up in closing the shops with use of violence despite opposition from the meat shop owners. A Bajrang Dal Zila Adhyaksh declared that all meat shops near schools and temples would be removed from the city, and that any offence or hurt against ‘Sanatani Sanskriti’ (Sanatani Culture) would not be tolerated, as Hindu samaj has come together.

Location: Muzaffarpur, Bihar

Bajrang Dal members forcefully closed a meat shop and threatened to close all such shops around temples, schools and hospitals. pic.twitter.com/te08fG6knf

— HindutvaWatch (@HindutvaWatchIn) June 27, 2023

These incidents reflect a disturbing trend that has gained momentum in the last few years. Measures targeting meat consumption, particularly in northern India, have witnessed a surge in recent years. Extremist Hindu groups such as the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal, and Hindu Sena have taken a leading role in vigilante violence against these shops which are mostly owned by writing class Muslims and Dalits.

These incidents have occured in huge numbers. There have been high profile cases as well. For instance, in 2015 the Kerala State Bhawan in New Delhi was raided after a Hindu Sena members raised a huge and cry about beef being on the menu. Thereafter Vishnu Gupta, who was actually the chief of Hindu Sena, was arrested by Delhi Police for providing false information about beef being served at a restaurant in Kerala House. Gupta’s complaint had been what prompted a police raid on the government guest house of the state of Kerala. The restaurant clarified that the meat in question was buffalo, which had been legally obtained from a shop authorised by the Delhi government.

Further exacerbating tensions, in 2022, the Karnataka Police apprehended seven members of the Bajrang Dal following two incidents of assault related to the sale of halal meat in Bhadravathi town, Shivamogga district.

However, this phenomenon is not entirely new or a 21st century innovation. A detailed analysis by SabrangIndia notes how the Kerala High Court intervened by issuing a stay order on the Lakshadweep administration’s decision to close dairy farms on the islands and modify the midday meal diet for school children. The administration’s plan to auction off the animals and exclude chicken, beef, and other meat from the menu faced considerable opposition from the local population. Furthermore, the exclusion of eggs in midday meals at the expense of children’s health has been an alarming development in this regard.

In fact, in the mid-1990s to early 2000s in Gujarat, Dalit and Muslim mothers were warned against including boiled eggs in their children’s lunchboxes. This was highlighted in a cover story on Gujarat titled Face to Face with Fascism by Teesta Setalvad. The article explained how the RSS-BJP-VHP alliance deliberately stirred controversy around slaughter during Bakri Eid since 1997. Waljibhai Patel, an advocate for Dalits and minorities in the Gujarat High Court through the Council for Social Justice (CSJ), explained that Jains, despite being only 0.2% of the population, wielded significant wealth and influence. This led to an outcry during Bakri Eid, which coincides with Mahavir Jayanti, and a two-week demand to close slaughterhouses. Patel questioned the survival of the majority of the population, which includes SCs, STs, and religious minorities who consume beef. The CSJ challenged the state’s authority to dictate dietary choices and even protested against attempts to close restaurants during Ramadan in 1997.

In 1997, the Gujarat High Court ordered the reopening of slaughterhouses following a writ petition. However, the influential Jain lobby raised the same demand the following year when the BJP was in power. The CSJ once again approached the court, and the High Court directed the slaughterhouses to remain open for the entire fortnight, with exceptions for the first and last days. This clampdown of meat-eating targeted both Dalits and minorities in Gujarat, a state known for its hard-line Hindutva politics.

In May 2017, the central government attempted to impose a complete ban on the slaughter of cattle, including cows, buffaloes, bullocks, calves, and camels. However, the Supreme Court stayed this decision as it affected the livelihoods of those involved in the leather, tanning, and meat production industries.

India has consistently witnessed the politicisation of food whether it is related to midday meals for underprivileged children in government run schools or the dinner spread at the home of ordinary citizens.

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The post Hindu Extremist Groups Target Meat Shops in Multiple Indian Cities appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The battle of the right to freedom to eat meat has reached another level. Today, April 11, a division bench of the Gujarat High Court held on Tuesday that the right of traders and vendors to sell or trade meat or meat products “even if fundamental, has to yield to the public to food safety”. The court was hearing applications moved by aggrieved meat vendors and associations in Gujarat over the closure of their establishments for reasons such as selling unstamped meat, selling meat in unhygienic conditions or through unlicensed shops etc.

In another public interest litigation seeking a ban on illegal and unlicenced slaughterhouses and meat shops, the Gujarat High Court had earlier called on civic body authorities to act against those selling meat in violation of statutory laws. Following actions like the sealing and closure of such shops, several vendors, meat shop associations and owners had moved the Gujarat High Court, seeking to join as a party to the PIL which had been allowed.

A total of four applications were filed by the aggrieved meat vendors/sellers/associations. Three of these were all rejected by the court on Tuesday. In one application, 21 people had sought for passing an order to open the seal of chicken meat shops in Surat, reported The Indian Express. Besides, in two other applications, similar directions were sought to reopen the premises or shops or slaughterhouses of the members of the applicant association engaged in the slaughtering of small animals such as goats and sheep and further to permit the sale of mutton. Here the claim of the authorities was that laid down norms were not being followed.

The applicant petitioners had also prayed that state authorities be directed to apply the statutory provisions “pragmatically” while simultaneously permitting the applicant members to continue their business of selling the meat. The applicants had argued for their fundamental right to freedom of trade and that the closure of meat shops was illegal and amounted to deprivation and curtailment of their right to free trade. Significantly, though it was also submitted that the month of Ramadan is underway, therefore, the state should liberally act to redress the grievance of the applicants to permit them to sell the meat by allowing the opening of the shops.

During submissions, both sides, the aggrieved meat sellers and restaurant owners parties argued that the provision of selling stamped meat requires approval or licence by state-authorised slaughterhouses to approve the meat quality, and to that effect, Gujarat has eight authorised slaughterhouses, of which only three are operational. This makes it extremely difficult to function.

The court in its order observed, “Permission to reopen the meat shops cannot be granted even though the shop owners remain noncompliant of the laws. While the indirect prayer before the court is to relax the norms, such course is not possible in law. There is no challenge to any of the provisions of the Acts or regulations. No order could be passed by the court which may operate contrary to or may have the effect of disregarding the statutory prescriptions in respect of food safety and other regulatory norms required to be observed in larger public good.”

Petitioners had also submitted that the state has also failed in discharging its duties that require it to construct slaughterhouses and dedicated meat markets to regularise the vendors’ businesses. It was highlighted that meat vendors have been making repeated representations to the state government regarding the same but the requests have gone unheard so far. The consequences of the state’s abdication of ensuring that statutory norms be followed cannot be heaped on citizens argued the petitioners.

Senior advocate Percy Kavina, arguing on behalf of the aggrieved meat shop owners/vendors, had also argued that adhering to such a regulation is impractical and dissonant with the ground reality. “The idea that every meat carcass has to be stamped by a vet is so outrageous.

As per estimates, a high 63% of the population of Gujarat is occasionally non-vegetarian. These approved abattoirs are located in Ahmedabad, Surat and Vadodara. Where do you think the rest of the meat comes from? This is an ideal thing…the state government cannot say that since now we have a handle, we will implement the law with a rigour and strictness which is impossible to. The slaughterhouse in Jamalpur, it is the state government that does not give them any facilities — they do not give water, they do not have waste disposal, they do not repair the structure and then they (petitioner) say ‘go there with a doctor’,” Kavina argued.

The bench of Justices N V Anjaria and Niral Mehta, while deciding the applications moved by the aggrieved parties, noted that “any fundamental right is subjected to reasonable restrictions” and held that the right to trade has to also subserve to public health, food safety requirements and a consumer’s right to safe food.

“The provisions of Food Safety and Standards Act, 2006 and the Food Safety Regulations as applicable to the meat business and meat shops, the regulatory and hygienic measures contemplated for the meat shops and slaughterhouses in the said law and the rules, the other laws seeking to fulfill the purpose of insulating the animals from cruelty and cruel acts, pollution and environment laws required to be observed by the meat vendors, are all limiting factors, which will operate as reasonable restrictions on the right of the vendors of the meat and slaughterhouse owners to run their business. In their degree, they are restrictive measures, which really do not prohibit running the meat business or slaughterhouses but requires the compliance of the norms,” the court held.

“Right to freedom of trade may be a fundamental right, but not a carte blanche. The above laws are enacted and operate in public good and public interest. The freedom to trade or right to do business have to yield the public health norms and the restrictive compulsions needed to be enforced in larger public good. The right to free trade in food items like meat, or any such food has to be subserving to public health and food safety requirements,” the court said.

The bench said that the applicants can “not be permitted to assert unrestricted freedom” to do business in meat or run slaughterhouses “on the ground of religious occasion when they are otherwise non-compliant of the norms in law”.

“A bare ground may not be permitted to be advanced to justify to seek laxity in the food safety or pollution norms. The activity of running unlicensed slaughterhouses and selling unstamped meat could not be approved or permitted without the stakeholders complying the applicable laws. Viewed from another angle, for the consumers of any food including the meat and meat products, there is a right to have safe food,” the bench further held.

The Order of the High Court may be read here:

For the past few years, there has been an assault on the sale and consumption of meat by various state authorities. Late last year, the Bharatiya Janata Party-ruled civic bodies in Vadodara, Rajkot, Bhavnagar and Junagadh in Gujarat ordered roadside food vendors and hawkers to cover non-vegetarian food, including eggs, saying an open display of the food could “hurt religious sentiments”. The roadside vendors had been asked to either stop selling non-vegetarian food items or keep them covered so that people cannot see them while passing on the roads or walking on footpaths.

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The post The right to sell meat must give way to public’s right to food safety: Gujarat HC appeared first on SabrangIndia.

In Meerut, these days, a group of angry men are busy walking the streets shouting slogans against meat shop owners, which in this case are mostly Muslims. The goons engage in hate speech, raise Hindutva slogans and are demanding that meat shops in Uttar Pradesh be shut down for the duration of Navratri, and even threaten dire consequences.

जो ना माने बातों से, वो मानेगा लातों से
उत्तर प्रदेश के मेरठ में हिंदू सेना के कुछ लोग नवरात्रि पर जबरदस्ती मीट की दुकानों को बंद करवा रहें है. pic.twitter.com/sZiVTGDt0K

— Millat Times (@Millat_Times) April 6, 2022

Mobs like these no longer seem to be an occasional occurrence; they are now dangerously normalised in many parts of Uttar Pradesh, especially in areas that are close to the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. What is more shocking is that such mobs, instead of being dealt with an iron hand are treated gently by uniformed police officials who engage them in discussion and try to persuade them to relent their protests for now. Various videos on social media have shown the alleged Hindutva mobsters of Meerut shout their protest and hate slogans outside a police station/ outpost, and in front of uniformed police officials. 

मेरठ में मीट की दुकान बंद करवाते हिन्दू संगठन के नेता…

पुलिस ने रोका लेकिन मनुहार करना पड़ा… pic.twitter.com/b1Ofd1CKRY

— आदित्य तिवारी / Aditya Tiwari (@aditytiwarilive) April 6, 2022

The mob has identified itself as members of “हिंदू सेना” and one Sachin, who seems to be leading them is heard telling the Meerut police person that “nothing is above religion” as is daring the cop to arrest him and his supporters. The Meerut police officer is heard pleading with Sachin and “assuring him” that he too was a hardliner/ hardcore, “Mai bhi bohot kattar aadmi hu Sachin, stithi ko samjho, maas kahi nahi bik raha hai, galat afwah nahi phailao.. kaisi baat kar raha hai yaar Sachin.” (I am also hardcore Sachin, understand the situation, meat is not being sold anywhere, don’t spread fake rumour, what are you talking about Sachin.) Then the cop is heard saying that he as a cop was enough to S@&**F (hindi swear word) if that was the case.  

This Sachin, may well be Sachin Khatik of the so called Sangeet Som Sena or ex-MLA Sangeet Som’s “private army”, who had threatened to hold a demonstration demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible for an “objectionable video” of Som. 

On Saturday, 30 people, including those belonging to “Sangeet Som Sena”, were booked by Meerut police for “rioting and loot”. This mob was accused of vandalising the food cart of Mohd Sajid who was selling a vegetarian biryani. Still the mob went on attack mode in Sardhana, the Assembly constituency that Som was voted out of in the recent elections. According to a news report, Khatik and his fellow goons vandalised Mohd Sajid’s cart while he was selling the rice dish near a marketplace. They reportedly asked him why he was selling biryani when it is “banned” during the nine days of Navratri. Sajid told them that it was a “veg soya biryani”, but  they attacked anyway.

However it is not yet known if Sachin has been arrested yet.

In Ghaziabad, there is a ban on meat already issued by the Ghaziabad Nagar Nigam. Sale of meat is banned till April 10 and officials told the media such a “meat ban during the festival is a routine order.” The order read, “It has been directed by the mayor to maintain cleanliness in temples, and to close meat shops during the period. It has been directed that cleanliness be maintained in respective zones, in temples and to ensure meat shops remain closed.”

While Sangeet Som lost his seat, party colleague Nand Kishor Gurjar was re-elected MLA from Loni. In March, much before Navratri, Gurjar targeted meat sellers saying, “I want the officials to understand, not a single meat shop should be visible in Loni… There is Ram Rajya [rule of Hindu god Ram] here in Loni. Have you ever seen a meat shop in Ram Rajya? Just consume milk and ghee, and if you don’t have a cow I will send you one.” It is not known if he has kept his promise of gifting bovines.

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The post Why is this ‘Sangeet Som Sena’ allowed to roam free in UP? appeared first on SabrangIndia.

The Hindutva call to boycott Halal food, and therefore target the Muslim community, continues to grow unchecked both online and on the streets, especialy in Karnataka. Soon after Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) general secretary Chikkamagaravalli Thimme Gowda Raavu a.k.a CT Ravi the four-time MLA from Chikmagalur floated the term ‘economic jihad’ his followers in the right-wing ecosystem amplified the call to boycott ‘Halal’ meat which in other words may have translated into an economic boycot of Muslim owned meat shops, or restaurants and targets the community’s eating habits. Now the right-wing has launched its version of social discrimination and put up posters asking people to shun Halal food around Ugadi, celebrated in Karnataka as the Hindu New Year on April 2. 

Posters have been printed asking #Hindus to avoid doing business with #Muslim vendors during Ugadi. #HalalMeat #HalalFood pic.twitter.com/1oPTSHxwDo

— Hate Watch Karnataka. (@Hatewatchkarnat) March 30, 2022

More dangerously, right-wing vigilante groups have reportedly put up posters asking Hindu vendors to boycott halal meat during Ugadi. According to a report in India Today, this has been done as a group of non-vegetarian Hindus also offer meat to God and celebrate the New Year. The Bajrang Dal has begun to put up posters in the Nelamangala area, asking “Hindu vendors to boycott shops which have halal signs in front of them” stated the news report adding “Ban halal meat” is what the poster says in huge letters. This is the second such ‘poster campaign’ after one was put up recently announcing the exclusion of Muslim vendors from setting up shop at the Hindu religious fairs in many parts of Karnataka, especially in temples’ annual fairs.

Visuals of  Bajrang Dal unit of Chikmagalur district, distributing pamphlets telling Hindus to boycott Halal Meat have also been circulating. According to local journalists the Bajrang Dal men have begun a “door to door campaign”, across the state.

#BajrangDal unit of Chikmaglur dist #Karnataka distributed pamphlets asking #Hindus not to buy #HalalMeat 4m #Muslims ahead of #Ugadi celebrations.They carried out a door to door campaign. Dal has started a state level campaign against purchase of meat from Muslim chicken shops. pic.twitter.com/COiRbn8nK8

— Imran Khan (@KeypadGuerilla) March 31, 2022

#Chikmagalur ; stop buying meat from Muslim shop; Distribution of leaflets by Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Bajrang Dal. @zoo_bear@khanumarfa@ReallySwara#Halal #HalalMeat #Karnataka pic.twitter.com/vzzaLSEMhB

— Hate Watch Karnataka. (@Hatewatchkarnat) March 31, 2022

Karnataka Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai told the media that the state government will also look into the ‘halal’ meat issue as “serious objections” are being raised about it. He said, “The halal issue has just started. We have to study it. It’s a practice that is going on. Now serious objections have been raised about it. I will look into it.” According to a report in The HIndustan Times, the state’s Education Minister said, “There’s nothing that the government can do in the matter of Halal meat. It’s a religious practice and some people believe in it. Halal is not the subject that comes under the purview of the government.”

Meanwhile, CT Ravi has defended his “halal is economic jihad” remark claiming that if Muslims are protecting their business interests then Hindus have the right to do the same. According to a report in Times Now, CT Ravi said that if Muslims are rigid then Hindus will be rigid as well and called ‘halal’ a bifurcation, “They are protecting their interests. We are protecting ours. What is the problem? They have set their agenda in the name of halal. Once they are liberal, we will also become liberal.”

The debate continues to rage online as well, and Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar Shaw urged Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai to “resolve the growing religious divide” in the state, however, she too was targeted and accused of expressing a “politically-coloured opinion”. 

Unfortunately, vested interests are hijacking the issue to political parties. I am confident our CM @BSBommai will resolve the matter peacefully. I am a proud kannadiga n don’t want to see these incidents detract from economic progress. All parties need to work towards this.

— Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw (@kiranshaw) March 31, 2022

Shaw, as reported by NDTV has been the first corporate leader to publicly voice concerns on such “communal exclusion”, and said “Karnataka has always forged inclusive economic development and we must not allow such communal exclusion- If ITBT (Information Technology and Biotechnology) became communal it would destroy our global leadership.” However, BJP’s IT cell head Amit Malviya, accused her of “personal, politically coloured opinion.”

It is unfortunate to see people like Kiran Shaw impose their personal, politically coloured opinion, and conflate it with India’s leadership in the ITBT sector. Rahul Bajaj once said something similar for Gujarat, it is today a leading automobile manufacturing hub. Go figure…

— Amit Malviya (@amitmalviya) March 31, 2022

This communal campaign against Halal meat, comes on the heels of the boycot of Muslim vendors, and the Hijab controversy. The All India Lawyers Association For Justice, has also filed a complaint with the authorities alleging that the Vishwa Hindu Parishad and Bajrang Dal in Mangaluru have  perpetrated “an economic boycott” based on religion that is “in gross violation of the Constitution and the IPC.”

We received a response from the Ullal PS, to which we have responded via post with relevant evidence of the unlawful economic boycott by VHP and Bajrang Dal in Mangaluru. @DgpKarnataka @BSBommai we hope strict action will be taken. https://t.co/w85zhA3y8a pic.twitter.com/76kYHyuqU1

— AILAJ_HQ (@AilajHq) March 31, 2022

What is Halal?

According to the Halal Food Authority, an independent, voluntary non-profit organisation based in the UK, that is “involved in the supervision, inspection, audit, certification, and compliance of halal principles and practices”, ‘halal’ means “permissible- and in translation, it is usually used as lawful”. 

Halal meat it states is that where the animal is slaughtered observing rules such as:  

• An animal should not be dead before slaughter
• A Muslim should perform the slaughter using a sharp knife (swift & single cut) severing the major veins, arteries & windepipe without decapitation
• Any flowing blood of the carcass should be completely drained (Surah Al- An’am 6:145)
• Choice of modern and in vogue method must be in line with Islamic principles and considered with absolute caution
   

Halal is “not only limited to meat and poultry but it also extends to other consumables such a beverages, confectionary, dairy and other perishable processed foods,” it states, adding that “to comply with halal requirements, processed food and drinks must be free from any non-halal materials such as pork, ethanol and non-halal meat & their derivatives. They must be processed in a halal compliant environment with no risk of cross contamination from non-halal.”

However it adds that “some lifesaving drugs may be an exception (according to the general consensus of Islamic Scholars).”

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The post Bajrang Dal smells an opportunity in stirring the halal pot, pastes boycott posters appeared first on SabrangIndia.

“I want the officials to understand, not a single meat shop should be visible in Loni… There is Ram Rajya [rule of Hindu god Ram] here in Loni. Have you ever seen a meat shop in Ram Rajya? Just consume milk and ghee, and if you don’t have a cow I will send you one,” said Nand Kishor Gurjar the re-elected MLA of Loni. He has decided to target those who sell meat, which is not banned in the region. Many of these shops are owned by Muslims, though the customer base is of mixed religions as is the norm. 

‘अधिकारी समझ लें, एक भी मांस की दुकान इलाके में नहीं दिखाई देनी चाहिए क्योंकि यहाँ रामराज्य है’ : #BJP विधायक @nkgurjar4bjp@BJP4UP | #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/hqerLeZKl8

— IBC24 News (@IBC24News) March 12, 2022

He is now repeating with greater power what he has done all along, and the party’s return to power in the Uttar Pradesh assembly has given the Loni MLA more reason to continue his threats, both veiled and open, first to Muslims, and now to officials. As soon as he won, he had repeated his anti-Muslim slogan an said “neither Ali nor Baahubali, Bajrangbali has come in Loni”. According to Gurjar, his win is the “victory of the godlike devout people of Loni” which he probably means the Hindus who voted for him.

‘अधिकारी समझ लें, एक भी मांस की दुकान इलाके में नहीं दिखाई देनी चाहिए क्योंकि यहाँ रामराज्य है’ : #BJP विधायक @nkgurjar4bjp@BJP4UP | #UttarPradesh pic.twitter.com/hqerLeZKl8

— IBC24 News (@IBC24News) March 12, 2022

Now in continuation of his electoral victory, the BJP MLA from Ghaziabad’s Loni has targeted the entire meat industry of the area, even though his camp have often claimed he is only targeting illegal slaughter houses in the area.  

On the ground Nand Kishor Gurjar, is well known along the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border. He is often filmed on video  walking up and down the township, verbally abusing Muslims, forcing them to down the shutters of their shops if the product sold was chicken or goat meat.

Even during the election campaign, he got into some hot water with the Election Commission of India for saying, “Na Ali, Na Bahubali, Loni mei sirf Bajrang Bali” (Translation: No Ali, No Bahubali, Only Bajrang Bali in Loni), while addressing his supporters in the run up to the Assembly elections. A slogan he has revived again. 

Previously too, Gurjar has been accused by the farmers who were protesting at the Ghazipur-Delhi border of trying to create communal unrest during the peaceful protest in January 2021. But Gurjar did not let all those allegations stop him from adding to his hate portfolio. His focus was purportedly on the upcoming Assembly elections, and his hate tactics kept him in the limelight. Gurjar was once again given the party ticket to contest elections from his safe seat and won.

Related:

Uttar Pradesh: Why were communal slogans raised in Ghaziabad?

Meet Nand Kishor Gurjar, a BJP MLA who thrives on Hate Speech 

An ‘encounter’ in UP: Identical injuries, allegations of ‘cow slaughter’, Muslim daily wagers in jail?

Ghaziabad: BJP MLA forcibly closes meat shops

Hindu groups in Gurugram forcibly shut meat shops for Navratri; BJP MLA in Ghaziabad does the same 

The post Not a single meat shop should be visible in Loni: MLA to officials appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Divisive food politics are as dangerous as sartorial politics. Adding an official stamp on what was once a choice, the  Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG) has announced that all meat shops in the city will remain closed on Tuesdays. According to the news reports this No-Meat-Tuesday decision was taken with a view to respect religious sentiments, mostly of Hindus, some of who do not consume meat that day.

According to the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Corporation bylaws, 2008, any municipal corporation across the state has the power to close meat shops on a single day of a week, with immediate effect. Gurugram, which was once known as Gurgaon, has 129 licensed meat shops. There are more that operate without a license, these number around 150 said MCG officials cited in news reports. All of them will now have to shut down shutters on Tuesday.

Ashish Singla, MCG’s chief medical officer, who oversees the issuance of licences, fines and closure orders for meat shops in the city was quoted by Hindustan Times, announcing this:  “As per the provisions of the Haryana Municipal Corporation Byelaws, 2008, any municipal corporation can close meat shops on a single day during the week. Hence, such a decision can be implemented with immediate effect.”

A proposal was also tabled before the House on restarting the issuance of licences to meat shop owners and doubling the license fee from ₹5,000 to ₹10,000 reported the Hindustan Times. Councillors Ashwani Sharma and Dharambir Singh, of wards 23 and 21, respectively, added that the civic body should raise the licensing fee to ₹50,000 and also sought that these shops be closed on Tuesdays, due to “religious sentiments.”

Meanwhile, MCG Commissioner Vinay Pratap Singh was quoted by the Indian Express saying food was an “individual choice. I eat, my wife doesn’t eat, it is independent. I cannot force her and she cannot force me. When we cannot decide on this at home itself, the House should think before making any decision regarding the entire city.” 

It has already gotten the first political reaction from Hyderabad Lok Sabha MP and president of the All India Majlis-e-Ittehadul Muslimeen (AIMIM) Asaduddin Owaisi who called meat a “food for millions of Indians” adding that “it can’t be treated as something impure.”

How can beliefs get hurt by what other people are doing in their private lives? People are buying, selling or eating meat, they’re not forcing you to partake

By this logic, close alcohol shops on Friday?

Meat is food for millions of Indians. Cannot treat it as something impure https://t.co/oY0eh0ZknT

— Asaduddin Owaisi (@asadowaisi) March 19, 2021

Apart from disregarding personal choices, the decision will also have a financial impact as there will be no sale on Tuesday. According to news reports those in the meat trade have said this closure will result in revenue losses. The HT quoted Pritam Singh, the president of Jacobpura meat shops association as saying, “If the MCG has passed this resolution, there is little else the association or the shopkeepers can do. The MCG should have taken into account that even if a few members of one community do not consume meat on Tuesday, other communities consume it. We were open seven days a week but now, will be forced to close on Tuesdays and lose revenue.”

Meat shops have often been shut down citing ‘religious reasons’ in the past few years. Most such shutdowns are often ‘enforced’ during the Hindu festival seasons of Navratri, and during the Kanwar yatra as well in many cities across the national capital region. A few months ago Nandkishore Gurjar, the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) Member of the Legislative Assembly (MLA) representing Loni, Ghaziabad, on the Delhi-Uttar Pradesh border had declared that, “No meat shop will be tolerated in Loni during Navratri.” He had also claimed that the area was under a fly path and ‘bones’ etc were dangerous as they could lure birds to circle and threaten bird hits and a potential aircraft crash. Many meat shops had shut in the area fearing unrest and right wing goons. However, it was not a rule till this one in Gurgaon. It may once again inspire others to demand closure of meat shops on a particular day. 

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The post Gurgaon’s no-meat Tuesdays are political, not sentimental appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image Courtesy: ANI
 
Gurugram: Two Hindu Sena members were arrested for allegedly forcing meat shop owners to shut their businesses in view of the Navratri festival, a Gurugram police official from Haryana state said on Sunday.
 
“Rakesh and Pramod (Singh) along with 40 other members of the Hindu Sena have been booked for threatening meat shop owners with dire consequences for opening their businesses. They were marching on streets holding batons, hockey sticks, swords and iron rods in their hands,” DCP Sumer Singh said.
 
In a CCTV footage, they could be seen pulling down shutters of meat shops and threatening their owners, he said. Police identified the arrested men as Rajesh alias Cheeka and Pramod – both residents of Dundahera. The Haryana unit of the Hindu Sena confirmed that they belong to the organisation.
 
Over 200 Hindu Sena activists on Saturday marched towards many places in Gurgaon, including Palam Vihar, Badshahpur and Om Vihar, and forcibly shut 250 meat shops, he said. The viral video of this incident was circulating on social media which led to their identification.
 
“The Hindu organisations would continue with their efforts throughout Navaratri as the opening of meat shops during the festival could hurt religious sentiments of Hindus,” said Ritu Raj, the president of Hindu Sena.
 
He said they visited sectors 4,5,7,9, 10, 21, 22, Palam Vihar, Badshahpur, Om Vihar, Surat Nagar, Sadar Bazar, Anaj Mandi Dhanwapur, Dundahera, Molaheda, Sikandarpur and many other places in Haryana.
 
He claimed that about half of the shops were already closed as the exercise has been taking place since 2014. Around 50 per cent of shops were already closed fearing clashes, as meat shops were shut during every Navratri since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) came to power in the Centre and in Haryana, he added.
 
“We had closed 180 to 200 shops on Saturday. This is actually the job of the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram (MCG), police, and the health department. These shops are illegal, but because they are not doing their work, we have to take to the streets to do it for them,” he said in a report by The Indian Express.
 
Assistant Commissioner of Police Birem Singh said six people have been named in the complaint, while at least 25 people are unidentified, reported Hindustan Times. “We are trying to identify people from the video,” Singh said. “Police are probing if the said meat shops had obtained licences. However, people cannot take the law into their hands and force the closure of shops by brandishing weapons.”
 
Police said a case was registered under sections of the Indian Penal Code, including rioting, unlawful assembly and criminal intimidation, and the Arms Act on Sunday.
 
This is not the first time meat shop owners are being forced to shut shop during Navratri. Last October, Hindu outfits, under the banner of the Sanyukt Hindu Sangharsh Samiti, had fanned out across Gurgaon and “appealed” to owners to close their stores, the IE report said.
 
With the 9-day Chaitra Navratri festival starting on Saturday, Hindu organisations forcibly shut around 180 meat and chicken shops at different locations of Gurugram, demanding they remain closed during the festival.
 
In Loni, Ghaziabad, barely 50 kms away from Gurugram, more meat shops were being forced to down shutters. The BJP MLA from Loni, Ghaziabad, who went around the area Saturday night telling people to shut meat shops in areas near temples, said opening such shops was “rashtradroh,” Indian Express reported.
 
“Meat shops were opened near temples in Loni. It is illegal and amounts to rashtradroh. None of this would have been possible without the connivance of local officials,” MLA Nand Kishor Gurjar said, the report noted.
 
In 2017, the UP government had come out with guidelines that said meat shops will not be allowed within a 50-metre radius of a religious place.
 
“Navratri has begun and it is absolutely wrong to continue the slaughter. Tomorrow if there is tension in the area because of this, who will be responsible?” Gurjar said in the report.
 
BJP media in-charge in Ghaziabad Pradeep Chaudhary said in the report that he was not aware of the incident. “If the MLA did it, it must have been his own agenda. We are not aware of this,” he said.
 

The post Hindu groups in Gurugram forcibly shut meat shops for Navratri; BJP MLA in Ghaziabad does the same appeared first on SabrangIndia.

Image: Indian Express

The Indian nobility was so badly demoralized and pauperized that it was in no position to dispute much less challenge this sacrilege of their prized heritage. That was when the butchers of Meerut and vicinity rose and offered to buy back the place from the British and restore it as a mosque. And they paid a princely price in those days of Rs 12 crore to buy back the Jama Masjid and restore its preeminence.

Such was the monetary strength of the butchers among the Muslim community. Even today Makki mian’s palatial house is situated opposite Jama Masjid alongside Chawri Bazar/Dariba Kalan, close to where they sell the fireworks. Makki mian’s forefathers had collected the amount and handed over to the British. Makki mian himself must have died several decades ago.

It is not for nothing that the Hindutva outfits have targeted the meat trade, for this, they have keenly observed, will break the economic backbone of the Muslims.

So, the first thing Yogi Adityanath did on assuming the office of the chief minister of Uttar Pradesh was to attack the meat trade, fully aware that this more than anything will hurt the Muslims, not merely in terms of attacking their food habits but the source of sustenance, neigh prosperity of the Muslim community.

That it will also hurt the Dalits who apart from being non vegetarians are also intricately involved with the meat business in several accessory trades, including the leather industry and even the OBCs who are the main cattle traders, is an add on. So with one stroke you kill three sets of despicable non Aryan social groups.

If the object was merely to protect the cow, and we may or may not agree, but never mind that, if the object was to protect the cow and mind you not the bullock or an ageing bull, least of all a buffalo or an ox, why issue the diktat to implicitly obstruct the slaughter of the buffaloes as well? Because, the real purpose is to close the cottage meat industry and remember only the next door meat seller, for the big factories owned by the Jain community, exporting from Saudi Arabia to Mexico are still running and will continue to run full steam.

The Aryavrat, even Rajasthan High Court judge Mahesh Chand Sharma, has never put any premium on the buffalo. Buffalo is black and only the Yamaraj, himself black, rides the black animal. There is no religious sanctity attached to the buffalo in any Hindu text.

So the Hindutva brigade and their private army of cow vigilantes are not fired by any love for their religion or the alleged hurt to their religious sentiments. It’s what Guru Golwalkar said long ago: “The Muslims will seek nothing and expect nothing.” They will live merely on sufferance. Under the current dispensation what else should be expected?

So in this far right establishment the Muslims will not become second class citizens, they already are reduced to that state. For decades the RSS/BJP were looking at neighbouring Pakistan with amazement and dare say,appreciation: “If they can achieve this why can’t we?” . Pakistan has been their ideal for all of the 70 years of its creation, and we are copying Pakistan in every which way, unmindful of what a situation that country has landed themselves in.

1977 elections were my first opportunity to cast my vote and like many others I too was campaigning actively for defeating Indira Gandhi. My best friend and class fellow from AMU Hari Kishan Sharma, no leftist, was dismayed at my rooting for the Janata Party pointing out what a communal rabble rouser Atal Bihari Vajpayee was then. But I brushed him aside. But as soon as Vajpayee became India’s External Affairs Minister, where did he go first? To Islamabad to enjoy the hospitality of that mullah in khaki General Mohammad Zia-ul Haq to virtually endorse the dismissal of the first constitutionally elected government of Pakistan led by Zulfiqar Ali Bhutto. Bhutto was hanged later and thanks to Vajpayee presiding over the Foreign office, we refused to condemn that judicial murder by Zia ul Haq.

Soon as Vajpayee became the Prime Minister he headed Lahore wards yet again with much fanfare to bless the then Pakistan Prime Minister Nawaz Sharif. Then, soon after NDA went out of power. L K Advani led a large contingent to Pakistan and travelled all around from Lahore to Islamabad to Karachi.

Now our very own Narendrabhai Damodardas Modi, first thing he thought even before being sworn in was to beckon Nawaz Sharif to come and join in the celebrations which he did. Mind you, I am all for very cordial diplomatic relations with Pakistan and regular exchange of people and people to people dialogue. Bu we are here talking of those who said “Doob maro, doob maro ( go drown yourself)” when Pakistan’s Prime Minister came to pay obeisance at Ajmer Dargah.

The point is that while the Sangh fans hatred and anger against Muslims, in India or Pakistan, they are bewitched by the Pakistani model of governance and are ever ready to emulate that. There was one difference though: we bet that the ethos of democracy is so ingrained in us in India that we can never become a military dictatorship. Seeing the way the Army is today being made into a holy cow, and the way that out of turn promotee General Bipin Rawat is gloating about Major Gogoi for tying a Kashmiri youth as a human shield to his vehicle, I can’t say how far we are from a military takeover now.

(Faraz Ahmad is a senior journalist based in New Delhi).

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