UP meat sellers on strike against Yogi's crackdown, restaurants to be hit

Meat sellers across Uttar Pradesh (UP) launched an indefinite strike from Monday against the Adityanath government's crackdown on illegal and mechanised slaughterhouses.

"We have decided to intensify our strike from tomorrow. All shops will remain closed. Fish sellers too have joined us and are extending support to us," Lucknow Bakra Gosht Vypar Mandal office bearer Mubeen Qureshi had said on Sunday.

He said, in the wake of the crackdown, there was no question of the strike being called off anytime soon. "It will go on indefinitely," he added.

Industry fears being butchered

Several butcher shops and slaughterhouses across the state have complained that they are being targeted under the new dispensation. “Authorities are even closing down chicken shops,” a shop owner in Noida told NDTV. Another said even legal abattoirs were asked to hang curtains in front of their stores, while others alleged that the new administration was not willing to issue fresh licenses or renew the old ones.

As reported earlier, operations have been disrupted completely for the past few days because of an atmosphere of fear across the supply chain, since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) formed the government in the state after winning a historic mandate, with Yogi Adityanath as chief minister. One of the party’s election promises was shutting down illegal slaughterhouses.

So far, allegedly illegal meat shops have been shut down in Lucknow, Varanasi and Ghaziabad. Last week, three meat shops owned by Muslims were burned down in Hathras. 

Eateries hit

Due to the strike, non-vegetarian food outlets, including the famous Tunday and Rahim's have shifted to mutton and chicken dishes after buffalo meat became scarce. 

As the mouth-watering kebabs went off the platter, the owner of another famous eatery said the situation might force hoteliers to get mutton from Delhi. "But there will be no compromise on the quality of the food," he said, speaking on condition of anonymity.

At the same time, he supported the closure of illegal and mechanised slaughter houses in the state, saying it was difficult for a common man to pass through a locality where the slaughter houses were operating almost openly. He also alleged that the illegal abattoirs even indulged in slaughtering dogs.

Replying to a question, he said, "This is not a religious issue. In fact, it is directly linked to the health of people, who have the right to good quality of meat and fish."

Exports could be hit

As reported earlier, UP is estimated to account for more than half of the country’s $4-billion annual buffalo meat exports. Its big markets are Vietnam, Malaysia and Saudi Arabia.

In fact, India earns more foreign exchange from buffalo meat exports than basmati rice ($3.48 billion in FY16). Prime Minister Narendra Modi had attacked the United Progressive Alliance government during his 2014 Lok Sabha election campaign for promoting a “Pink Revolution” by encouraging meat exports. However, the BJP government at the Centre has not taken any action to discourage shipments.

Sirajuddin Qureshi, chairman and managing director of Hind Group, which owns two buffalo meat-processing units in the state, has been busy meeting his industry peers to evaluate the situation. “We have no concern if it is just about shutting down illegal slaughter units. But there must be adequate clarity and communication so that the organised sector is not targeted,” he said.

The bulk of the buffalo meat processed in the state gets exported. According to the commerce ministry’s agricultural and processed food product export development authority, UP has around 180 buffalo meat-processing units, more than other key states such as Maharashtra and Punjab.

Sirajuddin said the government should also introduce a system to let those who operate without licences apply for one if they comply with requirements. Illegal slaughterhouses have come up, as there were hardly any government-owned facilities.

Hind Group is not the only one facing problems. Kanpur-based Rustam Foods has been unable to convince suppliers to bring buffaloes to the unit.

“They are scared. They apprehend harassment if they bring supplies,” said Saleem Qureshi, the owner of Rustam Foods.

BJP says just following rules

Meanwhile, BJP national spokesman Sambit Patra on Sunday said that the government was only following a court order as illegal abattoirs were contributing to the state's ill health by getting ground water polluted. He claimed those running meat outlets legally and in accordance with norms were not being victimised.

"There has been a court order about illegal abattoirs which was not implemented by the previous government. The state's chief secretary has constituted committees in each district headed by the collector and comprising ten people each. The committee is visiting every slaughterhouse to see if they are being run legally and submitting a report every day," he said.

About the loss of livelihood and lack of meat in the market, Patra said," If there is large-scale disruption, the state government will look at it and resolve the issue.

Senior UP Congress leader Akhilesh Pratap Singh said that only small meat vendors were being targeted during the drive. "How is it that the small shops are getting closed and meat exports are going up. The government should have made people aware of the laws and rules before launching the drive," he said.

Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath had on Saturday said abattoirs operating legally would not be touched but action would be taken against those run such operations illegally.

"The government will not touch those (abattoirs) which are operating as per the provisions of law and have a valid licence. But those that are violating the orders of the NGT (National Green Tribunal) and playing with the health of the public would not be spared...," he had said.