By Matters India Reporter
Itanagar, July 17, 2022: A subdivision in Arunachal Pradesh has withdrawn its order directing hotels and restaurants to remove signboards displaying the term “beef.”
The Naharlagun subdivision of the northeastern Indian state had given these establishments time until 18 to comply with its order. However, it withdrew the order following widespread protests.
Naharlagun is 13 km northeast of Itanagar, the capital of the state where beef consumption is not banned.
The order was issued on July 13 by the subdivision’s executive magistrate, Tamo Dada following a verbal complaint that ‘beef’ displayed on signboards of eateries hurt the religious sentiments of communities that do not consume the meat.
“We received several representations from various quarters seeking an extension of the timeline for compliance. Considering the representations, the order is hereby kept in abeyance till further order,” Dada said July 15.
The order, issued under Section 144 of the Code of Criminal Procedure, stated that the administration of Itanagar Capital Region upholds the secular spirit of the Indian Constitution but such open display of the word ‘beef’ on the signboards of eateries could hurt the sentiments of some sections of the community and create animosity between different groups.
The hotels and restaurants had also been warned of a 2,000-rupee fine if they don’t comply with the order. Defiance of the order could also lead to cancellation of license, the eateries were told.
The Arunachal Pradesh Youth Congress had earlier asked the executive magistrate of the State’s Naharlagun subdivision to revoke its order warning all hotels and restaurants to remove the word ‘beef’ from their signboards by July 18 or be penalized.
“It is well known to everyone that Arunachal Pradesh has people who have been consuming beef since time immemorial and are in the practice of visiting beef restaurants and hotels for decades. But they have never hurt the sentiments of anyone or any community,” youth congress president Tarh Johny said.
The sudden and surprising order of the executive magistrate, he added, has created restlessness in the minds of different group of people in the state, especially the (Itanagar) capital region. “The word ‘secularism’ has nothing to relate with ‘beef’ written on signs of restaurants and hotels,” he asserted.
Terming the order as a misuse of magisterial power and “injection of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh agenda”, the Youth Congress said it is redundant in a tribal-dominated and beef-consuming state. “The order should be revoked to avoid any kind of communal or religious conflicts in the coming days,” Johny asserted.
Itanagar Capital Region Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom on July 16 convened a meeting with members of the Naharlagun Bazaar Welfare Committee and the Arunachal Chamber of Commerce and Industries, in connection with the order on beef.
At the meeting Dada claimed that a group of people had requested him to look into the matter of display of word ‘beef’ outside hotels and restaurants.
He said that he issued the order as “a preventive measure, considering their sentiments,” and added that “the order was in no way meant to ban beef eating or selling but to just remove the word ‘beef’ and by using other alternative to specify availability of beef in the particular hotels.”
The order was withdrawn after the meeting.
The bazaar committee chairman Kipa Nai said that “trading licenses are being provided by the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and the names are already proposed while applying for it.”
He said that the majority of people in Arunachal Pradesh have been eating beef since time immemorial “and both beef eaters and non-eaters have been peacefully residing,” and requested that the order be withdrawn.
The ACCI representatives said that Arunachal is a “mini-India where all communities reside peacefully and such categorization provides easy identification for beef eaters.” They also requested that the order be withdrawn, but suggested that “the size of the hoardings outside hotels may be minimized, if needed.”
The DC on his part said that “the order was issued by the EAC as a preventive measure with good intention and not to bring communal colors to it.”
He informed that the order will be withdrawn, and requested the people to “not let the matter blow out of proportion.”
Potom also sought the media’s cooperation in “minimizing trolling.”
The state of Uttar Pradesh is India’s largest meat exporting state. The industry grossing Rs 26 billion provides direct and indirect employment to more than 2.5 million people in the state.
In his article ‘Deconstructing Uttar Pradesh meat politics’, Dr Aftab Alam, Professor of Political Science in Aligarh Muslim University, wrote: “UP’s meat industry is a sector dominated by Muslims, but it also provides employment to a large number of low caste and impoverished Hindus too, and, is also a good source of government revenue.” Professor Alam adds, “The government should not forget that besides Muslims and Christians, beef is the dietary choice of a substantial section of Hindus as well.”
Of all the government-approved slaughterhouses in the country, 38 are in Uttar Pradesh. However, most of these approved slaughterhouses only cater to exports largely controlled by sympathisers of the BJP. The total beef export in the world is estimated to be at 94.49 lakh metric tons. Brazil exports 18.55 lakh tons, while India too exports nearly the same quantity – 18.50 lakh metric tons. Australia exports 1.36 lakh tons, while America exports 11.2 lakh tons. India, along with Brazil, is thus the top beef exporter in the world. It may be mentioned that in the international market both cow and buffalo meat is termed as beef and India’s top exporters are Satish Saberwal of Al Kabeer Exports Pvt Limited (Rudrak in Telangana), Sunil Kapoor of Arabian Exports Pvt Ltd (Mumbai), Madan Abbott of Frozen Food Exports Pvt Ltd (Delhi), Sunil Sood of Al Noor Exports Pvt Ltd (Shernagar, Muzaffarnagar in Uttar Pradesh), OP Arora of AOB Exports Pvt Ltd (Unnao in Uttar Pradesh), Kamal Verma of Standard Frozen Foods Exports Pvt Ltd (Chandanpur in Unnao, Uttar Pradesh), Sunny Khattar of Maharashtra Food Processing and Cold Storage Pvt Ltd (Satara in Maharashtra) and AS Bindra of PML Industries Pvt Ltd (Chandigarh). None of them, surprisingly, are Muslims. The link is given below:
https://www.news9live.com/india/despite-vigilante-fuelled-meat-politics-indias-beef-exports-remain-high-15823
Why is the BJP needlessly needling people by poking its nose in their kitchens and bedrooms?