Amid the raging row over meat sale ban in Mumbai and some parts of Maharashtra and Rajasthan during 'Paryushan' festival of Jain community, Gujarat and Chhattisgarh governments too have ordered suspension of sale of meat during the eight-day long fasting period and 'Ganesh Chaturthi' festival.
"Like every year, the urban administration department has issued directives to civic bodies to keep all the slaughter houses and meat shops closed from September 10 to 17 for the Jain 'Paryushan' Parv and Ganesh Chaturthi," Jitendra Shukla, deputy secretary for urban administration in the Chhattisgarh government, said.
The state government has been imposing ban on sale of meat during 'Paryushan' since 2011.
On Thursday, what seemed to be a problem centred around Mumbai went national after the Rajasthan government too, imposed a three day ban on the sale of meat. Similarly, the Jammu and Kashmir high court ordered a ban on sale of beef, triggering angry reactions by locals and organisations like Jamaat-e-Islami and separatist Hurriyat Conference.
On Thursday, the Rajasthan government has asked meat shop vendors to cease the sale of meat and fish on September 17 in view of the ‘Paryushan’ (Jain fasting) festival and on September 18 on account of ‘Sanvatsari’ (another Jain festival), and September 27 on account of ‘Anant Chaturdashi’.
In Mumbai, angry mutton vendors moved the Bombay high court against the ban, saying it discriminates against their right to a livelihood. Hearing the matter, the court observed, “An eight-day straight ban can’t be a formula. Mumbai is a modern city.”
Reuters image used only for representational purposes.
