Mumbai Can Sell Meat on Thursday, Rules High Court

Mangalore Today News Network

Mumbai, Sep 14, 2015: The controversial ban on the sale of meat in Mumbai was put on hold today by the High Court. The ban had last week been reduced from four days to only one more day, September 17, amid protests and anger.

The ban on the slaughter and sale of meat for a Jain festival of fasting known as "Paryushan", had been opposed by many political parties and termed as discriminatory in a petition by mutton traders of Mumbai.

The Bombay High Court last week criticized the ban in "progressive" Mumbai. "There is a progressive look to Mumbai. These are regressive steps. We understand the sentiment part. But purchase is an independent choice," the court said.

The ban was opposed not just by opposition parties but also the ruling BJP’s ally Shiv Sena. The BJP wanted the ban extended to eight days, but the Sena said it would ensure that meat was openly sold and eaten in the financial capital on the days of the ban.

The ban during the Jain fast was introduced in 1994 by the then Congress government. Ten years later, the two-day ban was extended to four days. Mutton traders argued that the ban had never really been implemented until now.

"All these years you only banned slaughter not sale. How can you take this decision at the 11th hour?" the court asked the civic body.
The Maharashtra government also faced tough questions about the logic of the ban. "When you are talking of Ahimsa, how come fish, sea food and eggs are not banned?" the judges asked.

"Fish die the moment they are out of water. So there is no slaughter involved," was the government’s baffling response. The sentiment, explained the government’s top lawyer, was that there should be no slaughter.

"We have to change our attitude in view of globalisation," said the judges, who had yesterday commented that "an eight-day straight ban can’t be a formula. Mumbai is a modern city."

 

Courtesy: NDTV