The Chhattisgarh government has curtailed the ban on the sale of meet from a week to two days which was imposed owing to the Jain festival Paryushan and Hindu festival Ganesh Chaturdashi.
“The State government has made amendments in its previous order on meat ban. Now, the sale of meat and the slaughter houses in the State would be prohibited for two days instead of eight days as was said in the earlier order,” said a statement issued by the Directorate of Public Relations, Chhattisgarh. However, the government left it to the district collectors to decide the days on which meat ban would be imposed.
The “amendment” to the earlier order of the State government, came after some NGOs and Muslim bodies threatened to move to the Bilaspur High Court against the ban.
“It’s a matter of personal freedom. To ban meat is to threaten the livelihood of people dependent on meat trade, most of whom come from middle and lower income groups. The meat is not sold by hawkers. There are stipulated places for the meat sale and those who want to avoid it, can avoid it easily. This is not solely against Muslims cause but there are other communities dependent on this trade,” said Mr. Nauman Akram Hamid of Seeratun-Nabi Committee, which is the biggest Muslim body in Chhattisgarh.
Despite the eight-day ban, which was imposed on Friday, meat market in Raipur was open throughout day on Saturday and meat shops in other parts of the state capital also sold meat freely.
