Fear of ban takes meat out of the business

According to Qureshi, who also heads the wholesalers association in the market, the decline began in the early `90s when the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation permitted retailers and exporters to slaughter animals at the Deonar abattoir. These entrepreneurs used to initially purchase their requirements from the wholesale market. “At least they should have made it mandatory for exporters to buy their beef from us,” says Qureshi. At present Mumbai’s 37 wholesale beef dealers are allowed to sell the meat of only seven full-grown animals per day. Retailers who number nearly 500 in the city are permitted just one animal each.

Competition from illegal butchers ensures that even this meagre amount of meat remains unsold. According to Mohammed Hanif Qureshi, another beef wholesaler, illicit beef is sold in every Muslim and Dalit mohalla in the city. “While we sell meat at around Rs 30 per kilo, illicit beef is available for less than Rs 10 per kilo,” Hanif pointed out. Not only do the illegal meat sellers evade taxes, they also slaughter animals in unhygenic conditions.

The licenced beef dealers who are on the hit-list of Hindutva activists are bitter that illegal slaughter is ignored by both the authorities and the activists. “While we pay taxes on our businesses and confirm to prescribed standards of hygiene, we continue to face an uncertain future,” complains Qureshi. Qureshi and Hanif who sold their businesses to Deven Shah, a merchant from the neighbouring Chhatrapati Shivaji Market, feel that the entry of businessmen like Shah will add to their clout of the beef merchants. “Unlike the Muslims these people have money and political clout. Even as their businesses get protected, we too will be able to survive,” reasons Qureshi.

However, Shah who now owns sixty shops in Crawford Market insists that he is not in the beef business and has acquired a change-of-user certificate from the BMC. “We are interested in selling items like cloth and crockery,” he said. Enquiries by Express Newsline revealed that the sale of beef continues as usual in Shah’s premises. Shah, however defends himself by saying that the premises are not yet fully transferred to him as some procedures remain to be fulfilled.