Maharashtra beef ban: Merchants to resume slaughter of buffaloes

MUMBAI: Beef lovers have a small consolation. Merchants who had stopped slaughtering buffaloes to protest against the Maharashtra Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 1995, which extended a ban on cow slaughter to bulls and bullocks, have decided to begin slaughtering them from April 1.
The Deonar abattoir, which had seen a lull since March 4, will get reactivated, though not on the scale that it was before the beef ban was enforced.
Heeding demands of beef merchants and daily wagers rendered jobless due to ban, beef merchants’ associations decided to lift the self-imposed ban on slaughter of buffaloes. “We have told beef merchants to bring buffaloes to the abattoir from April 1. The sale of buffalo meat will provide a partial relief to the almost starving families of many beef merchants, though the agitation against the beef ban will continue,” said Mumbai Beef Dealers’ Welfare Association president Mohammed Qureishi.
He added that beef merchants, abattoir workers and agriculturists will hold dharnas against the ban at district headquarters across the state on April 1.
Deonar abattoir deputy general manager Dr Kaleem Pathan said they had received letters from beef merchant associations about their willingness to begin the slaughter of buffalos from April 1.
“Earlier, 400-450 animals, including bulls, bullocks and buffaloes were slaughtered daily here. Now we expect 200-250 buffaloes will be slaughtered,” said Pathan.
Eateries which have seen their business down by nearly 60% due to beef ban have welcomed the imminent return of buffalo meat. “Something is better than nothing,” remarked Noor Ahmed of Baghdadi hotel in Colaba. Baghdadi’s regular customers include navy personnel.
Khalid Hakeem of Noor Mohammedi at Mohammed Ali Road said, “Buffalo meat cannot replace beef, but it will remove the desultory mood that had set in on restaurants.” Chicken Sanju Baba, a dish named after Bollywood actor Sanjay Dutt, is popular at Noor Mohammedi, but the absence of awesome nalli-nihari had dis- heartened many. “We will try to bring back the flavour to our food,” promised Hakeem.