While the right-wing groups’ demand for a boycott on halal meat increases across Karnataka, meat producers in the state are confident that “such propaganda being run by a few individuals” will not affect them, Indian Express reported.
The meat sales throughout the state have doubled on the occasion of “varshadodaku”, which comes a day after the Kannada New Year festival of Ugadi on April 2 when people organize a non-vegetarian feast.
Several Hindutva groups have been carrying out campaigns throughout the state seeking to ban halal meat saying that Muslims perform rituals according to the Islamic faith before killing animals which are then consumed by Hindus.
However, meat sellers are confident that despite the boycott call, it would not have any effect on sales.
Speaking to Indian Express, Khasim Shoaibur Rahaman Qureshi, president of All India Jamaithul Qureshi of Karnataka, an organization of butchers in Karnataka, said “We are not bothered about this fake propaganda run by a few individuals. Any person at the end of the day wants to eat good and healthy meat. If anyone is able to provide this, the customers will go to them.”
During “varshadodaku”, a meat shop is likely to sell around 250-300 kg of mutton and currently, one kg of mutton costs about Rs 700. As such, a trader’s turnover would be around Rs 2 lakh in a day, according to the daily.
“People buy meat from the same shop through generations because they trust the vendor. Most of those who breed goats and sheep are Hindus. Even if a Hindu sells meat, he would choose to use the Halal method because it is universally accepted,” Qureshi added.
The Halal meat controversy erupted when a few hardline Hindutva groups, such as Hindu Janajagruthi Samiti, Srirama Sene, Bajrang Dal and others issued calls for removal of halal certification from the signboards of meat shops.
An IT professional in Bengaluru told the Indian Express that he will continue to buy meat from the same place where his father used to procure from.
“I buy meat from a nearby shop that is run by a Hindu but the butcher is a Muslim. As a child, I have seen my father buying from there and I will continue doing the same,” he said.
