Mumbai: The Maharashtra government has opposed a petition seeking permission for the setting up of temporary slaughterhouses within city limits to sacrifice buffalos during the three days of Id-ul-azha (Bakri Id). According to the state, a committee formed in 2012 to find a solution on the same issue had said in its report that temporary abattoirs for buffaloes should not be provided in the city.
The court was hearing a petition filed this year seeking for temporary abattoirs to be allowed in the city’s Muslim-dominated areas, contending that as per the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation’s (BMC) rules, there is a provision for the erection of such temporary structures for Id. Advocate Hiten Venegaonkar on behalf of the state opposed the same.
Ansari Umar and 10 others have contended in the petition that the Deonar abattoir was established 1972, when the city’s Muslim population was above around 10 lakh; however, now the population has increased manifold, and hence the Deonar abattoir has, due to various reasons, became insufficient to meet the demands of the community during Bakr Id.
Interestingly, the petitioners have also requested the court to allow trading of cattle 10 days prior to Bakri Id at various playgrounds, including Azad Maidan in south Mumbai.
According to the petition, filed via advocate Asif Siddiqui, traffic congestion in the city has increased and hence it has become difficult and time consuming to travel all the way to the Deonar abattoir from different parts of city and go back home during the festival.
The petitioners requested that the court to direct the competent authority to allow Muslims to sacrifice buffalos at places available near them or in the other areas during Bakri Id.
It is also mentioned in the petition that since last year apprehension has increased of disturbance to peace and law and order due to group attacks in terms of mobs lynching persons carrying cattle or their meat without examining their authenticity. The petitioners have expressed apprehensions that people carrying meat from Deonar could also be attacked in a similar way.
