New Delhi: Trinamool Congress (TMC) MP Mahua Moitra on Wednesday reacted sharply to the row over the possible ban on selling of meat in South Delhi during the festival of Navratri.
Mahua Moitra, who claims herself as a South Delhi resident, said she has been guaranteed the consumption of meat by the Constitution. “I live in South Delhi. The Constitution allows me to eat meat when I like and the shopkeeper the freedom to run his trade. Full stop,” the firebrand TMC Lok Sabha MP from West Bengal’s Krishnanagar constituency tweeted.
The controversy was triggered after South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Mukkesh Suryaan’s letter demanding the closure of meat shops in the area owing to Navratri. Officials have, however, said they were unaware of any such directive.
Though the national capital is administered by Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal’s Aam Aadmi Party (AAP) government, the South Delhi Municipality is governed by the AAP’s arch-rival Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the party of Prime Minister Narendra Modi.
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Owing to “cultural and political pressures”, many Indians under-report eating meat – particularly beef – and over-report eating vegetarian food
Research done in 2018
The AAP has raised questions on why the meat ban is to be imposed in South and East Delhi and not in Gurgaon, Faridabad and Noida, deemed National Capital Regions (NCR). “If meat can be bought by just crossing the border, then what is the purpose?” was the question raised by AAP MLA Atishi Marlena.
In his letter, Surayan had said “religious beliefs and and sentiments are affected when they come across meat shops or when they have to bear with the foul smell on their way to offer prayers”.
However, despite the popular perception that India is a largely vegetarian country, research shows that only about 20 percent of Indians are actually vegetarian, as per data generated by the Central Government’s own National Family Health Survey. In 2018, new research by US-based anthropologist Balmurli Natarajan and India-based economist Suraj Jacob found evidence that owing “cultural and political pressures”, many Indians under-report eating meat – particularly beef – and over-report eating vegetarian food.
India Blooms News Service
