HC refrains from fresh orders against camel slaughter for Eid
Chennai
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
The Madras high court on Wednesday desisted from issuing fresh orders against camel slaughter in Chennai for Eid on Thursday , but said related issues could be raised before a committee.
The first bench of Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice T S Sivagnanam said: “We have already issued appropriate directions in the main matters, and we are assured by the respondents (authorities) that law will be followed, that illegal import of camel is being prevented.“
Referring to the mention made by PIL-petitioner Radha Rajan, the judges said she was already part of the committee and that all her pleas would be dealt by it.
During arguments, the court was informed that more than 100 camels had been brought from other states, and nearly 40 of them would be slaughtered in Chennai. Counsel for another petitioner P Vijendran argued that there was no ban on camel slaughter or meat, and that constitutional rights could not be curtailed.
On August 25, the court slammed lack of coordination among government departments, and formed its own committee comprising officials drawn from the de partments of animal husbandry and road transport, besides the Chennai Corporation, TNPCB, AWBI, Food Safety and Standard Authority of India, and advocate R Srinivas. By a later order, the bench included a representative of the Muslim community in the committee.
The bench also reminded officials about the observations it had made in the Au gust 25, 2015 order, as well as Food Safety and Standards Regulations, to prevent any illegal slaughter.
The August 25 order was passed on a PIL filed by E Seshan and People for Cattle seeking a direction to prevent transport of camels into the state and their killing for religious purpose in violation of rules for slaughter of animals in places other than lawful slaughterhouses.
After perusing photographs accompanying the affidavits, showing slaughter of camels in public places, the judges said: “These photographs show slaughtering of camels in public places and yet the Corporation of Chennai has the temerity to say that no slaughter of camels is taking place as no permission was granted. The gruesome photographs filed with the writ petition also do not seem to trouble the respondent-authorities.“
Goat prices drop ahead of Bakrid
Chennai: Livestock prices registered an unusual drop ahead of Eid al-Adha (Bakrid) on Thursday. In a welcome development for the Muslim community, prices of sheep and goats from Pota in Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, whose meat is popular during the festival in Chennai, have fallen to between `7,000 and `8,000 (compared to `9,000 last Bakrid) for each average-sized goat that can yield 15kg of meat.
Market sources attributed the drop in prices to larger than usual supply of goats from Sulurpet, Naidupet, Pudukottai and other parts of the state.
Anwar Pasha, a wholesaler in Saidapet, said more people would now be able to afford a traditional Biryani feast. “For those who cannot buy a whole goat, friends and family members can pool in money to buy a goat and share the meat,“ he said. TNN
An animal activist spotted a group of people with a camel on Wednesday night but was unable to prevent them from taking it away for sacrifice despite the presence of police.
The incident occurred near Narada Gana Sabha.Mahima, a volunteer with animal welfare group INCARE, saw a group of people with a camel around midnight. She followed the group after dialling the police control room. “After the police stopped the group, they started arguing. They said there was no violation of animal transport rules neither was there any stop order,“ said Mahima.
The arguments continued for more than an hour.By this time the crowd had swelled to around 40 people.Mahima continued requesting police, who asked her to take the animal to Vandalur zoo. “ How could I arrange a truck at 1.30am?“ said Mahima.
She also called up the authorities of the Animal Welfare Board of India but in vain. As a last resort, she called Maneka Gandhi, who spoke over phone to the policemen. This also failed to spur them into action.
“By this time, the mob had become threatening. I was asked by the police to leave the place. The mob took away the camel around 2am. I will file a complaint with the commissioner of police,“ said Mahima
Tension prevailed at Nelpettai area in Madurai on Thursday after police stopped a group from slaughtering a camel on Bakrid. A large police battalion was stationed in the neighbourhood to keep the situation under control.
The group was from Nelpettai, a thickly-populated residential area with a substantial Muslim population.A team of policemen warned the group of arrest saying there were restrictions slaughter in a public place.There was a confrontation and after prolonged negotiations, the group decided to put off the sacrifice.
Bakrid, the second of the two biggest celebrations of Muslims worldwide, is a day when an animal is sacrificed and the meat shared. One part is shared with relatives, one with family members and the rest with the poor.
When contacted, Madurai police commissioner Sailesh Kumar Yadav said they were not stopping the sacrifice but wanted it done safely . “There is a procedure which needs to be followed. Even the recent court judgment says it should be done in slaughterhouses,“ he said.
The Madras high court had ruled against slaughtering of camels in public places in an unregulated manner and said it could be done only in slaughterhouses and at designated places. In August, it had ordered a committee consisting of several government departments, to come up with a set of guidelines for camel slaughter. On Wednesday , when the matter came to the court again, it desisted from issuing fresh orders.
According to some outfits in Madurai, of the eight camels brought to the city , six could not be slaughtered due to police restrictions.
Adham Bava, a film producer who brought a camel from Rajasthan, said he had been observing the ritual in Nelpettai for 20 years and had never been stopped before. “It is a purely religious practice and restricting it is against the freedom of religion ensured by the Constitution. We will go ahead with the sacrifice by 2pm on Friday and we are ready to face the consequences,“ he said.
