Meat Ban: Emperor Akbar had done it too

How city’s Paryushan meat ban came to be.

One of the original reasons cited by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation for enforcing a ban on slaughter of animals on some days during the Jain festival of Paryushan was that Emperor Akbar had done this too, and in doing so had won over Indians of all faiths.

The minutes of a March 1964 general body meeting of the elected members of the BMC show that before the corporation passed its first resolution on the meat ban during Paryushan, corporators discussed, among other things, the fact that Akbar too had ordered the closure of slaughterhouses during important religious festivals. The resolution to close down slaughterhouses on select days was passed by the standing committee of that period on March 16, 1964, then listed as “urgent business” in the general body meeting where it was passed with a majority. Interestingly, the corporation had actually considered closing down the slaughterhouse during other religious festivals too, including Ram Navami, Shivaji Jayanti and Janmashtami.

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The minutes of the meeting include a letter sent to the then mayor and councillors, written by the Bombay Humanitarian League. It reads, “…even during the imperialistic period of Indian History, the Great Secular Emperor Akbar in pursuance of the preaching of His Holiness the late Shri Hir Vijaya Surishwarji had ordered the closing of the slaughterhouses and this won over the hearts of the people of India.”

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It further says that the “noble tradition” was followed by other municipal corporations too, as well as by some Indian princes. “Since there are non-vegetarians even among the various communities like Hindu, Sikhs and Christians, the closure of the slaughterhouses on a few religious days as a gesture of goodwill is not likely to affect any particular community; such a token of sacrifice and self-control on the part of the non-vegetarians will go a long way in cementing the ties of brotherhood among various religions,” the letter said.

The latest order by the BMC to shut down the abattoir on four days this month during Paryushan is in accordance with the 1964 resolution and another resolution passed by the civic body in 1994.

In 1964, during the discussions prior to passing the resolution, one corporator raised a point of order regarding the possibility of people still consuming meat during the period when the slaughterhouse was shut. Dr B D Kalgutkar raised the point, stating that mutton would be available for consumption even if the abattoir was shut, defeating the very purpose of the closure. The mayor, however, ruled it out as immaterial.

On Wednesday, Samajwadi Party corporator Rais Shaikh demanded that the 1964 resolution be re-opened for discussion. Shaikh said, “Corporators across party lines have shown support for the resolution to be re-opened for another discussion. We are fine with the closure of slaughterhouse for two days but parties cannot dictate what people eat and what they do not.”

Uddhav against 8-day meat ban

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Shiv Sena president Uddhav Thackeray said on Wednesday that his party will ensure there is no meat ban in Mumbai. “We would ensure there is no ban on sale of meat for eight days,” Thackeray said. ENS

2-day ban in Mira-Bhayander

The Mira-Bhay-ander Municipal Corp has reduced from eight to two the days when a ban on slaughter of animals and sale of meat will be imposed. Shops will now be shut on Sept 10 and 17.

tanushree.venkatraman@expressindia.com

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