Meat sellers on strike for third consecutive day

VENDORS SAY even legal slaughter houses being targeted, want the state govt to initiate dialogue with them

LUCKNOW: Meat sellers in Lucknow continued their indefinite strike against the ongoing crackdown on illegal slaughterhouses for the third consecutive day on Monday. Many vendors said they were being harassed by officials though they followed all norms.

“Meat sellers are worried about the irrational crackdown on slaughter houses as officials have started harassing slaughter houses that are operating legally and are following all the rules of National Green Tribunal,” said Mubeen Qureshi of the Lucknow Bakra Gosht Vypar Mandal. “We want the state government to initiate a dialogue with us so that we can report our problems to them.”

Supply of meat – especially buffalo – has run dry across the state after a week-long crackdown on illegal abattoirs, a key pre-poll promise of the BJP that won a landslide victory in the state. Several abattoirs have been closed down and more than 50 people arrested.

Meat sellers’ organisations said the crackdown had created a fear psychosis among the traders and even licensed slaughter houses were being targeted. They also cited loss of livelihood of thousands of people associated with the business. Traders said the crackdown led to a severe shortage of all kinds of meat, even of buffalo, one of the most preferred choice for lakhs of people who cannot afford the costlier mutton and chicken. The shortage of buffalo meat has forced many eateries including the famous Tunday Kababi to switch to mutton and chicken dishes.

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, which will in turn push up prices. There were fears that buffalo meat shortage will deprive the economically weak section of the much needed protein in their diet. There were reports of shortage of meat for animals in Lucknow and Kanpur zoos. Dr AK Rao, chief veterinary officer, Lucknow Municipal Corporation, said: “All the legal licensed mutton and beef sellers need not worry. They are welcome to do their trade. The action is only against illegal slaughter houses violating NGT norms. These illegal slaughter houses are playing with the health of common man.”