The halal boycott campaign took a violent turn in the state leading to the arrest of five Bajrang Dal members
The call is for the boycott of halal meat products during Ugadi, the New Year celebration in Karnataka. AFP
First came the Karnataka high court’s ban on hijab in educational institutions. When Muslim shopkeepers downed shutters in protest, it angered locals who then barred traders from the community from temple fairs. Now, the right-wing in the state is going after halal meat.
Around 10 to 15 Bajrang Dal activists reportedly assaulted a chicken shop owner in Bhadravathi in Shivamogga district on Wednesday, demanding non-halal meat. A hotelier too was attacked for using halal products, according to the police, leading to the arrest of five Dal members.
Also read: Karnataka: First hijab, now demands for ban on madrasas and halal meat during Ugadi
The demand for the ban has caught on. In Bengaluru, right-wing leaders Prashanth Sambargi and Puneeth Kerehalli visited a market to distribute pamphlets, urging people not to buy halal meat, reports The Indian Express.
Halal products have long been sold across India. So why has the controversy erupted now?
What is halal meat?
There’s growing discontent toward Muslims in some parts of the state.
According to Islamic practices, Muslims can only consume halal meat. Halal is an Arabic word at it means fit for consumption. The Islamic way of slaughtering animals or poultry involves killing through a cut to the jugular vein, carotid artery, and windpipe. Animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and all blood should be drained from the carcass. During the process, a Muslim is expected to recite a dedication, known as tasmiya or shahada.
What’s the opposition to halal meat?
The demand for the ban was first started by a fringe group Hindu Janajagruti Samiti. They called for a boycott of halal meat products during Ugadi in Karnataka.
Ugadi is a New Year celebration and is observed in Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Karnataka. The halal boycott calls come ahead of the festival, which will be celebrated on April 2. The day after Ugadi, which is known as “varshadodaku”, is when many Hindus offer meat to deities and also eat it themselves.
“During Ugadi, there are a lot of purchases of meat, and we are starting a campaign against halal meat. As per Islam, halal meat is first offered to Allah, and the same cannot be offered to Hindu gods,” Mohan Gowda, the Samithi spokesperson, had told Hindustan Times earlier in the week.
But if not halal meat then what?
While Muslims consume halal meat, the Sikh community prefers “jhatka”. This does not involve completely draining the blood, thus making the meat tougher and drier.
According to reports, from a scientific point of view, to keep the meat soft and juicy, the PH level should be around 5.5 after the slaughter. In the jhatka meat, the PH value is as high as seven, according to news18.com.
War of words
Social media is flooded with messages, asking Hindus to shun halal meat, especially after Ugadi. On Twitter, #BoycottHimalaya became a trend because the company policy claims that it uses halal-certified products.
Now the call for the halal ban has snowballed into a bigger controversy involving the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party leaders and the Opposition Congress.
On 30 March, BJP national secretary CT Ravi backed the boycott. “Halal is an economic jehad. It means that it is used like a jehad, so that Muslims should not do business with others. It has been imposed. When they think that halal meat should be used, what is wrong in saying that it should not be used?” Ravi told reporters.
Karnataka opposition leader HD Kumaraswamy has spoken up against the anti-Muslim campaign. “It is the responsibility of the government to protect all 6 crores 50 lakh people in the state. It’s their duty to protect all communities. They cannot run the government by only looking after one community,” he said.
The row grabbed the attention of Biocon chief Kiran Mazumdar-Shaw, who expressed concern about the “growing religious divide” in the state that could potentially “destroy” its global leadership in the information technology and biotechnology industry.
Even Congress leader Rahul Gandhi stepped in, saying that the country was in dire need of learning brotherhood and eradicating hatred as taught by 12th Century social reformer Basaveshwara.
As the controversy hit national headlines, Karnataka chief minister Basavaraj Bommai called for “restraint before going public on social issues” on Thursday. Addressing the state Assembly, the chief minister said, “My appeal to all concerned is that we have been living with our beliefs all these years. Everyone should cooperate in maintaining peace and order. Karnataka is known for peace and progress, and everyone should observe restraint.”
Karnataka home minister Araga Jnanendra has claimed that the government has a limited role in the matter, as the campaign to “boycott halal food” did not come under the purview of law and order and is related to matters of faith and sentiments of communities. “If the law-and-order situation is disturbed, the law will take its course,” Jnanendra told the media.
With inputs from agencies
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