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Meat ban can’t be forced down people’s throats: Supreme Court

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Supreme Court

New Delhi: Refusing to interfere with a Bombay High Court order limiting the ban on the sale of meat on Thursday, the Supreme Court said it is not an issue that could be forced down people’s throats.

“Matters like these must be handled with tolerance and compassion,” the apex court said while rejecting a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) filed by a Jain group challenging the Mumbai High Court’s decision to stay the ban on sale of meat on Thursday.

“If the Maharashtra government has any objection to the High Court order, it must approach the Supreme Court,” the ruling said.

On Monday, the Bombay High Court had granted a stay on the controversial ban on sale of meat in Mumbai on September 17, but declined to lift the bar on animal slaughter. The court was hearing a PIL filed by Bombay Mutton Dealers’ Association challenging the ban imposed in the wake of Jain community’s Paryushan festival of fasting.

A similar ban has been imposed in the adjoining Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations in Thane district, but the High Court said it was not concerned about it as nobody from there has challenged the ban in those cities.

(Agencies)

Bombay HC allows sale of meat on September 17

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Bombay High Court

Mumbai: The Bombay High Court today stayed the controversial ban on sale of meat in Mumbai on September 17, but refused to interfere with the bar on animal slaughter on that day.

The High Court, which was hearing a petition filed by Bombay Mutton Dealers Association challenging the ban imposed in the wake of Jain community’s ‘Paryushan’ fasting period, said the stay will be limited to Mumbai jurisdiction area.

Though a similar ban has been imposed in Mira-Bhayander and Navi Mumbai municipal corporations in Mumbai’s adjoining Thane district, the court said it was not concerned about it “as nobody has come forward challenging the ban there.”

A division bench of Justices Anoop V Mohta and Amjad Sayyed in their order said, “We are staying the ban on sale of meat on September 17, but we are not interfering with the ban on slaughter of meat and closure of abattoirs on that date.”

The High Court also observed that though the Maharashtra government issued a circular in 2004 banning meat sale on two days, it was never implemented fully.

“Though there was a ban since 2004, it was never implemented in its true sense,” the judges said.

The court said there has been inconsistency in the stands of Municipal Corporation of Greater Mumbai (MCGM) and the state government.

The state government had on September 7, 2004, issued a circular stating that for two days during the Jain community’s ‘Paryushan’ fasting period there will be closure of abattoirs and ban on slaughter and sale of meat.

“Although the circular was of 2004, we are very clear that the MCGM never fully implemented the ban on sale of meat. It never insisted on this (ban on sale of meat), but only insisted on closure of abattoirs,” the court said.

“We are only going by the law and not dealing with this matter via sentiments and political things,” the judges further observed.

The High Court also clarified that since the petition has challenged the ban only in Mumbai area, the stay too will be limited to the Mumbai jurisdiction area.

The court said, “We are not concerned about what is happening in Mira-Bhayander or Navi Mumbai as nobody has come forward challenging the ban there.”

The HC also queried as to why fish and eggs were excluded from the ban. “If it is a question of practice of non-violence by the Jain community, then why only mutton and chicken have been included in the ban and not fish and eggs?” the court asked.

(PTI)

Policy of regression: Haryana bans meat on Jain festival day

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chicken kabab

Chandigarh: It appears that all the BJP ruled states are joining the meat ban wagon. Haryana is the fifth in line to do so. In its order, the state’s urban local bodies department ordered all slaughter houses to be closed from September 11 to September 19 in view of the Jain festival of fasting, Paryushan. The minister heading the department interestingly, belongs to the Jain community.

On Friday, Chattisgarh banned the slaughter and sale of meat till September 17. A meat ban has also been enforced in Rajasthan and Gujarat, both ruled by the BJP.The Rajasthan government has prohibited the sale of meat and fish on September 17, 18 and 27 on account of various festivals, including that of the Jains. The ban has been enforced since 2008 in the state, both by the Ashok Gehlot and Vasundhara Raje governments, but this year, it has been extended by one day, which has angered some groups. In Gujarat’s Ahmedabad, Police Commissioner Shivanand Jha has ordered a ban on the slaughter of cattle like cows and goats for a week during the Jain fasting period. The state enforces the ban every year.

The Haryana announcement came on a day when a similar ban in Mumbai was challenged by mutton traders and opposed by many political parties including the ruling BJP’s ally Shiv Sena. Mumbai’s civic body has, in the wake of the protest, cut short the ban from four to two days.

The Bombay High Court said the ban was “regressive”. “We understand the sentiment part but purchase is an independent choice,” said the judges.

“It is alright to have a two-day ban, but anything beyond that is unacceptable. It affects people’s livelihood… if the ban is beyond two days, people should be compensated for loss of livelihood,” said Salim Engineer, a member of the Forum of Democracy and Communal Harmony.

(Agencies)

Four-day meat ban in Mumbai during Jain fasting period imposed by city’s civic body

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beef

Mumbai: The Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) has banned sale of meat for four days during the Jain festival of Paryushan. As per an order issued from Deonar abattoir, sale of meat in civic markets will be discontinued and the slaughterhouse will be shut on September 10, 13, 17 and 18.

While the Jain festival is scheduled to be held from September 10 to 17, Ganesh Chaturthi celebrations will begin in the city on September 17. Last year too, the sale of meat was banned in the city for four days.

The demand to ban meat sale, as per the order, was made by Ahimsa Sangh, Vishwamaitri Trust. “Jainism is based on the principle of non-violence. There are not only a lot of Jains in Mumbai but a lot of Jain monks will also be visiting the city during the period…we request you to cooperate during the rituals,” the letter said.

(Agencies)

Jain sage booked for roaming naked in Goa

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Margao

Panaji: A trial court has ordered Goa Police to file a First Information Report (FIR) against a Jain sage for roaming naked around Margao town last month.

In his order dated May 26, Judicial Magistrate First Class (Margao) Bosco Roberts ordered police to file an FIR under section 294 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC), which deals with obscenity in public places.

The order, which was passed on May 26, but was formally issued on Wednesday, said that the photos of the Jain sage in the procession “prima facie make out an offence under section 294 of the IPC”.

“No doubt the freedom to practice and propagate one’s religion is sacrosanct under the constitution of India, but with every freedom comes responsibility and duty not to cause annoyance to others,” the order said.

Pranam Sagar Maharaj, a Jain Digambar sage had conducted a procession around Margao town, 35 km from Panaji, accompanied by local Congress MLA Digambar Kamat.

The sage’s photographs had gone viral on social media last month, even prompting a cabinet minister to demand a ban on sages roaming around in the buff in Goa.

Digambar is a sect in Jainism whose followers traditionally do not wear clothes and is symbolic of rejection of any possessions.

(IANS)

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