Maharshtra Govt Bans Meat For 8-Day Jain Festival. No Freedom Of Food Now?

Meat eaters in Mumbai will have to see some tough days ahead.

Starting with the Jain fasting season of Paryushan, Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned the sale of meat across Mumbai on September 10, 13, 17 and 18. BJP commissioner Ajoy Mehta took the decision to enforce the ban.

The ban has been imposed by the BMC after consistent demands from BJP legislators and Jain organizations.

Just recently, BJP-ruled Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation has banned meat for eight days during the Jain fasting season. Such demands were made in the past by the Jain communities, however, it is for the first time that they have been met.

In a report by Firstpost, a senior civic officer has commented, “On these days, BMC slaughter houses will be shut and it will be ensured that no animal is slaughtered and no meat is sold anywhere in the city.”

While the Jain community goes on a fast why should other communities suffer just because meat eating ‘hurts’ their sentiments.

Many have even questioned if this action is legal because they consider it as their fundamental right and an action taken against it is a complete violation of their rights.

The decision that only ‘benefits’ people of a certain community is being called a hasty decision taken under pressure that was created after the 8-day ban imposed by the Mira Bhayander Municipal Corporation.

Many political leaders have even come out to call the move anti-democratic. President of Mumbai Congress unit, Sanjay Nirupam said that the government should not take any decisions to please a particular religious community.

MNS group leader Sandeep Deshpande even mocked BJP as ‘Bharatiya Jain Party.’

In retrospective, the ban will not affect the sale of seafood and chicken meat. The hypocrisy and the consideration of sentiments of people from just one community have hurt sentiments of many other people in the process.

Many people have taken to social media to express their dissent over the ban:

Respecting sentiments of one religious community doesn’t mean snatching away other communities’ freedom (to eat what they want to) #meatban

— Ravinder Singh (@_RavinderSingh_) September 8, 2015

 

Maharashtra is behaving like a nagging wife, deciding what you eat #meatban and u can’t find faults in it or else #sedition charges — Sir Chetan Bhagat (@chetan_bhaqat) September 8, 2015

 

#meatban is against fundamental right of choice of food, say Muslims http://t.co/SvXERuA3i0

— dna (@dna) September 8, 2015

 

Ban beef. Ban meat. Ban criticising politicians. Ban consenting adults from meeting. Welcome to #Mumbai, capital of Ban-istan #meatban — Sneha Mahale (@randomcards) September 8, 2015

 

I am a #Jain I don’t eat meat. I DON’T support #meatban

— Saurabh Shah (@shahsa2003) September 8, 2015

 

What to eat or not it is individual’s choice, curbing eating rights is Hitler’s style of ruling: Manish Tiwari on #MeatBan in Mumbai — CNN-IBN News (@ibnlive) September 8, 2015

 

Imagine you are not allowed to eat meat in the country like India just because some religious organisation demand for ban. Pathetic #meatban

— Vaibhav Rawoot (@vaibhavrawoot) September 7, 2015

 

While the meat eaters are planning to stock up their fridge for the ‘veg days’ to come, Mumbai is bracing itself for the next ban, that might be on its way.

Cover Picture

News Source: First Post