Halal row hits meat trade in some areas

The controversy over halal meat sold by Muslims affected sales in some parts of Bengaluru during Hosa Todaku celebrations on Sunday, which come against the backdrop of a boycott call given by BJP and right-wing leaders.

Hosa Todaku, the day after Ugadi, is celebrated by a large section by consuming non-vegetarian food. The boycott call against halal-cut meat gained pace over the last few days, especially after Chief Minister Basavaraj Bommai said he would look into “serious objections” against the Islamic practice.

There were also people preferring good quality meat over the ‘jhatka cut’ pushed by the right-wing. Reports from Mysuru, Hubballi, Chikkamagaluru and Mandya showed the debate had little impact.

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There were mixed reactions in Bengaluru though. Some traders witnessed good sales on Sunday, which was also the first day of Ramzan, the fasting season which sees significant meat consumption.

One of the city’s oldest shops, Papanna Mutton Stall, had customers lined up from as early as 3 am, according to owner Mani. “We have been selling halal meat for years except during Pitru Paksha. Our customers do not have a problem with the cut. They just want good quality meat,” a stall manager told DH.

In Nelamangala, a Muslim meat trader said the campaign has hit his business. “Most of the sale happens by afternoon. In the previous years, I would have cut and sold 40 to 45 sheep. Today, only eight were sold,” he said.

On Mysore Road, over 100 people gathered in front of a mutton stall. However, several meat shops in the area saw poor patronage. “There are 23 shops here and only one of them is owned by a Hindu. However, Muslim shops saw one or two customers but one (Hindu) shop has a few hundred,” owner of a shop said.

Hindavi Meat Mart, a chain of meat stalls dedicated to selling jhatka cut, saw increase in sales compared to pre-pandemic years. Saffron clothes were tied to Hindu shops in some areas.

“Out of 300-400 meat shops in the city, at least 10 retail shops participated in the jhatka campaign. Although it seems like a small number, it surely is a stepping stone for the campaign. We’ll do a jhatka vijayotsav. Stalls like Papanna’s cannot be changed overnight, but the campaign has surely had an impact,” Prashant Sambargi, who is leading the campaign, told DH.

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