 "Yogi Adityanath")
Taking a leaf out of Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath's book, Jharkhand government on Monday asked closure of illegal slaughter houses within 72 hours. The step was taken keeping in view the overall public order, safety and health of the general public, an official release said.
Haryana too is in no mood to be left behind in the race of 'gauraksha' movement. The state government has decided not to issue licenses to slaughterhouses anymore. Haryana Cow Protection and Enrichment Unit (HCPEU) president Bhani Ram Mangla said it will intensify the movement from the last week of April or the first week of May to stop the smuggling of cattle in the state. "One of the major reasons behind banning illegal slaughterhouses in UP is the cruelty factor. We will put this point before the chief minister and request him of ending the procedures of providing commercial licenses for slaughterhouses," Mangla said.
The 'Gauraksha' movement has been active in India for quite some years. But, ever since BJP won a mammoth victory in Uttar Pradesh and Yogi Adityanath's elevation as Chief Minister, this movement has gained even more prominence. While government cites crackdown on illegal meat shops as a pro-health and safety move, it has also threatened the livelihood of lakhs of citizens.
Meat sellers on strike
Thousands of meat sellers in Uttar Pradesh shut shops for an indefinite period from Monday against Chief Minister Aditya Nath Yogis decision to close down illegal slaughterhouses.
Meat sellers in the sprawling Uttar Pradesh allege that police were raiding the shops and forcing the closure of their establishments despite having valid licences.
They said the ban on slaughterhouses has caused a shortage in meat supply across the state, as thousands of meat sellers have been forced to shut their shops for an indefinite period in an air of uncertainty over the state government policy.
"We have decided to intensify our strike. All (meat) shops will remain closed. The crackdown on slaughterhouses has adversely hit the livelihood of lakhs of people," Mubeen Qureshi of the Lucknow Bakra Gosht Vypar Mandal told reporters.
Central government's response
The strike by meat sellers and the issue of crackdown on the slaughterhouses was raised in the parliament with the central government claiming that only illegal slaughterhouses were closed down in Uttar Pradesh. Uttar Pradesh Health Minister Siddharth Nath Singh said in state capital Lucknow those who have licences need not worry, and urged civil and police officials "not to be overexcited" while imposing the ban, which was promised by the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) in its state election manifesto.
The minister said Chief Minister Yogi, in line with the party poll manifesto, had sought action "only against illegal slaughterhouses".
In Delhi, the issue was raised in Parliament by AIMIM President and Lok Sabha member Asaduddin Owaisi, who asked the state government to give time to illegal abattoirs for regularisation instead of just recklessly closing them down.
Replying to a related question from Owaisi, Union Commerce Minister Nirmala Sitharaman said: "What is being done in Uttar Pradesh is about illegal slaughterhouses. I think even the honourable member (Owaisi) would not want illegal slaughterhouses to function. There cannot be a difference of opinion here."
The Hyderabad MP also raised the issue of the decrease in the export of buffalo meat, which is mostly supplied from Uttar Pradesh that houses 38 of the 72 government-approved abattoirs across the country.
What does this mean to the country's economy?
The ban has caused serious concerns about the meat industry in Uttar Pradesh, which according to APEDA, an export regulator for agricultural and processed food products, is the highest producer of meat with 19.1 per cent share of the national figure, followed by Andhra Pradesh at 15.2 per cent and West Bengal at 10.9 per cent. Meat industry in Uttar Pradesh is estimated to be over Rs 15,000-crore and it employs 25 lakh people in the state. UP is India's largest meat processing state.
Illegal slaughterhouses in UP
There are no records of illegal slaughterhouses available officially. However, according to industry insiders, there could be an estimated 140 abattoirs and over 50,000 meat shops that don't have permission to operate, reports PTI.
Pregnant Lioness, other animals face the blunt
According to a report published in Hindustan Times, all four slaughterhouses of Kanpur Municipal Corporation (KMC) have been closed, resulting in the suspension of meat supply for animals.
Due to this carnivorous animals at the Kanpur Zoological Park face starvation. "The zoo requires 150kg of buffalo meat every day. The meat is provided by a contractor who supplied it on Tuesday but could not today. The pregnant ones are being given chicken but they are not interested. Many of them have not touched food since morning," HT quoted a senior zoo official as saying.
Lucknow Zoo authorities said they require 235 kgs of buffalo meat every day, but the supply for the past two days is just 80 kgs.
Besides the lions and tigers, they also have to feed panthers, hyenas, wolves and jackals, which are all dependent on buffalo meat.
