Mumbai can sell meat on Thursday: High Court

By NewsGram Staff-Writer

Mumbai: Meat will be available in Mumbai on Thursday. The High Court ruling came today after they put a ban on hold which triggered a political controversy and fanned a debate on social media.

Mumbai's Shiv Sena-dominated civic body reduced the ban imposed for Jain fasting festival of Paryushana from four days to only one (September 17).

Sena opposed the ban by openly slamming its ally BJP as the latter wanted the slaughter and sale of meat to be restricted for eight days and not just four days.

On Monday, the court acted upon a mutton traders' petition. The traders had challenged the ban last week.
In court proceedings last week, the judges criticized the ban in 'progressive Mumbai'. "There is a progressive look to Mumbai but such steps are regressive. We understand the sentiment part. But purchase or no purchase is an independent choice," the court affirmed.

The ban was introduced in 1994 by the then Congress government during the Jain fast. 10 years later, the two-day ban was extended to four days but it had never really been implemented until a recent order from the civic body.

"All these years you only banned slaughter not sale. How can you take this decision at the 11th hour?" the court asked officials.

The Maharashtra government also had to face tough questions about the ban logic. "When you are talking of Ahimsa, how come fish, sea food and eggs are not banned?" the judges asked.

"Fish die the moment they are out of water. So there is no slaughter involved," was the government's baffling response.

"We have to change our attitude in view of globalisation," said the judges, who had yesterday commented that 'an eight-day straight ban can't be a formula. Mumbai is a modern city."