MEAT ROW MAY HIT FEASTS DURING RAMZAN
Cattle trade ban and licence issues may worsen meat procurement problem during the holy month of fasting when demand is at its peak, say owners of eateries
LUCKNOW: The centre’s ban on sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter through animal markets, coupled with the ongoing meat row in Uttar Pradesh may adversely affect feasting after the day-long fast during Ramzan. Owners of eateries serving the best non vegetarian cuisine in the city, as well as foodies, cite problems in procuring raw meat (consumption of which is highest during the holy month) as the main reason behind the possibilities.
LUCKNOW: The centre’s ban on sale of cows and buffaloes for slaughter through animal markets, coupled with the ongoing meat row in Uttar Pradesh amy adversely affect feasting after the day-long fast during Ramzan.
The holy month of fasting is likely to start on Sunday.
Owners of eateries serving the best non vegetarian cuisine in the city, as well as foodies, cite problems in procuring raw meat (consumption of which is highest during the holy month) as the main reason behind the possibilities.
Though the ‘meat crisis’ that was triggered after the UP Government’s crackdown on mechanised and illegal butcheries in March ‘haunted’ the districts across the state, Lucknow, the city of nawabs, remained the most affected.
The cattle trade ban, people, said may worsen the situation. Though the court directed the UP government to sort out the license issues at the earliest and to bring the meat crisis to an end, supply is yet to be normalised.
“Procuring raw meat is still a tough task. In such conditions, how can we expect feasting during Ramzan, when meat consumption, specially beef, is at its peak,” said an associate with Tunday Kababi—a 112 year old iconic eating joint known for serving world famous galaouti kababs.
Perhaps this was the lone reason why Tunday had replaced its USP—buffalo meat kababs --with chicken kababs in March this year, for the first time in the eatery’s 112-year history. Then after a gap of over seven weeks, in mid-May, the joint had again started selling its melt in the -mouth galouti kababs and then barely a week after the reintroduction of the kababs, it withdrew the sale once again.
Shoeb Rizwan Quraishi, owner of Mubeens, another traditional non-vegetarian joint at Akbari Gate, often considered as a foodie’s paradise, said the meat row would certainly affect the festivities.
He said the court’s order had brought partial relief to the meat shop owners but they were yet to get licenses renewed or issued from the licensing authority. Those who were selling buffalo or goat meat (illegally), had raised the price bar that would certainly burn a bigger hole in pockets.
“The city’s traditional eating joints are either lying deserted or serving chicken instead of beef and mutton dishes. A handful of those serving beef and mutton delicacies are charging exorbitantly,” said Wamiq Naeem, a business man who hails from Nazirabaad.
“With the cattle trade ban, things will surely get worse. It will also leave many who are associated with butchery business hand to mouth. This food politics should be stopped with immediate effect,” he added.
The meat crisis has ‘eaten up’ the small roadside shops that added to the festivities during of Ramzan. These include shops selling the all time famous pasanda (a buffalo meat cuisine), nahari, biryani and kababs. Now the mouth-watering aroma is missing from Nazirabad, Chowk and Akbari Gate markets.