Mohamed Nazim, a chicken vendor based in south Delhi’s INA Market, decided to keep his shutters down on Tuesday after finding out about the letter calling for the closure of meat shops written by South Delhi Municipal Corporation (SDMC) Mayor Mukesh Suryan.
Speaking to The Hindu, which visited the market on Wednesday, most vendors said that the news of the letter -- and a possible shutdown -- caused immense confusion in the market. Vendors reported dumping their day’s stock, incurring losses.
“We wanted to avoid trouble. Some media persons paid a visit to the market late in the evening on Monday. Through them, we heard that fines will be imposed and our licenses might be revoked, so we got scared and decided not to open,” said a meat vendor who did not wish to be named.
In the letter, Mr. Suryan asked the civic body’s commissioner to shut all meat shops, under the SDMC’s jurisdiction, as it affected the “religious belief and sentiments” of those who hold fasts during the nine-day period of the Navratri festival. However, senior civic officials, Amit Kumar, Director of SDMC’s Press and Information, said no order has been implemented to shut meat shops.
“In my 22 years of working here, never did I see the meat market being shut because of such developments. At least 70% of our customers are foreigners, and the rest are locals. All of them were confused and found it absurd that the meat shop owners in the market had to shut down because of the Mayor’s letter. On the other hand, we suffered a loss of close to ₹2,00,000, while our stock went was wasted,” said Mohammed Sajid, a worker at a meat vend.
Echoing a similar view was Sidharth, a fish vendor at the market for eight years, who said he suffered heavy losses.
“The political purpose of what the letter aimed to create has been served. The media received the letter before we did, and we have not implemented any order to shut the shops. The INA market is under the jurisdiction of the New Delhi Municipal Council (NDMC),” said a senior civic official.
Simultaneously, restaurant owners based in the market also expressed discontent with some stating that they were unable to procure their stocks due to the disruption. “It is a political situation and seemingly communal. It has affected our business. Over 80% of my customers come here to eat non-vegetarian dishes, which means a big chunk of my day’s business went for a toss,” said a restaurant owner.
However, Ramesh Bhutani, the president of INA Market Traders Association, underplayed the concerns expressed by the vendors and said that, on Tuesday, the market had reopened at close to 3 p.m., while agreeing that some media personnel had created confusion during their visit on Monday.
He added, “The licenses for the meat shops are issued by the SDMC. We contacted other markets and their shops were open. The vendors did not suffer major losses, only a little loss was incurred. We are ready to comply with orders, whatever they may be. But we should be informed beforehand to help us avoid losses.”
However, the SDMC Mayor’s letter is not a first; in February, the civic body’s Education Committee chairperson Nitika Sharma (BJP), issued a letter to ensure that students do not wear religious attire in schools but laid strong emphasis against the wearing of hijab.
Previously, Ms. Sharma, a councillor from Dwarka, said, “We do not want such incidents (hijab controversy) to take place elsewhere. The letter has been sent to the Director of Education (SDMC) and will be enforced. If a small girl is covered and sent to school, won’t that affect her confidence level and make her feel different? If they want to wear hijab and show their religion, then they should go to madrasas. We don’t want the children to feel unequal, and this (instructions) will be implemented without a resolution.”
SDMC’s Director of Primary Education Pradeep Kumar, however, said the civic body has taken no decision to enforce these instructions in its schools.
When reached out for a comment, V.K. Singh, Director of the civic body’s veterinary department, said that he continues to remain unaware of the letter and declined to comment further.
“Either the party [BJP] must have given him [Mayor] the directions, or someone else, but he cannot take such a decision on his own,” said a source in the BJP.
Leader of Opposition at the SDMC, Prem Chauhan (AAP), said that he was against the Mayor’s call to shut meat shops. He said, “people should live and let live”.
He added, “I do not consume meat, but I don’t have a problem with those who do. This letter is a political gimmick to seek attention.”
When asked about the party’s stand, AAP in charge of municipal corporations, Durgesh Pathak said, “In neighbouring UP and Haryana there is no ban on the sale of meat and there is no point in doing it in Delhi alone. If all neighbouring states are doing it, only then there is any benefit in the move.”
He did not comment on whether the party supported the demand by the BJP to ban the sale of meat during Navaratri.
