"Tomorrow Some Other Community...": Court On Slaughter Ban During Jain Festival
The Bombay High Court on Monday wondered if it can prohibit slaughter of animals during the nine-day 'Paryushan Parv' of the Jain community and whether such an order would open the floodgates with other communities also seeking similar bans during their festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri.
A bench of Chief Justice Alok Aradhe and Justice Sandeep Marne was hearing a petition filed by a trust of the Jain community challenging the 2024 orders passed by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation as well as civic bodies of Nashik and Pune prohibiting slaughter of animals only for one day during Paryushan last year.
The community sought a ban on slaughtering for nine days from August 21.
The trust highlighted various aspects of Jain belief, including Ahimsa (non-violence) and said if animal slaughter takes place during Paryushan Parv then it would be detrimental to the cause of Jainism.
The court then questioned if it can pass such an order.
"It shouldn't happen that tomorrow every other religion also makes similar demands. You (Jain community) will get an order for nine days for Paryushan Parv, and then some other community will come forward and seek similar orders for the Ganesh Chaturthi and Navratri festival," the court asked.
The bench was informed that the Maharashtra government has already notified 15 days in a year when slaughter is prohibited, including one day for Paryushan Parv.
The court wondered if it can interfere once a policy decision is taken as it was not aware about what percent of the state's population is vegetarian and non-vegetarian.
Mumbai is surrounded by other municipal corporations which do not have slaughter houses and, hence, are dependent on the Deonar slaughterhouse in the metropolis, the bench added.
"Under which statutory obligation should slaughterhouses be ordered to remain closed for nine days," the court asked.
The bench ordered BMC, Nashik, Pune and Mira Bhayandar municipal corporations to decide on the trust's representation seeking prohibition on slaughter for nine days and give their decision by August 18.
Senior counsel Darius Khambata, appearing for the trust, told the court that last year the BMC, while permitting one day ban on slaughter, had reasoned that Mumbai was a cosmopolitan city with a sizeable population of non-Jains and had people whose daily staple includes non-vegetarian food.
"The Nashik and Pune civic bodies have not assigned any reason behind their order. The Mira Bhayandar Corporation has not even bothered to pass an order last year," Khambata said.
The bench directed the trust to submit their representation to the four civic bodies for reconsideration of the decision.
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Hans India
2 hours ago
- Hans India
Communal strife being fuelled under Cong rule, says BJP chief
Bengaluru: The BJP has alleged that a systematic conspiracy is underway to incite communal strife between two communities in the state. According to the party, anti-national elements are growing bolder with the Congress government's backing. Addressing reporters in Shivamogga on Monday, BJP state President and MLA B.Y. Vijayendra said, 'Anti-national elements are becoming stronger in Karnataka, particularly in the coastal region. Forces that do not want peace and aim to create communal discord are ensuring that untoward incidents continue to occur.' 'The tragedy is that the state government is not taking this seriously. Whether it's the murder of Hindu activist Suhas Shetty, the Mysuru police station attack, or incidents of violence during Tipu Jayanti in our Shivamogga district -- trouble is recurring during festivals like Ganesh Chaturthi. These disruptive forces feel emboldened because they know they are protected by the state government,' he alleged. 'Due to the inaction of the government, these anti-national elements are becoming more daring. They believe that no one will hold them accountable because the government is on their side,' he added. 'There is a situation where the fence is eating the crop. In this background, such disturbing incidents are taking place. The BJP strongly condemns this. The Chief Minister and the Home Minister -- who is one only in name -- must pay attention to this situation,' Vijayendra said. Commenting on the recent spate of heart attack cases in Hassan district, he said, 'A series of heart attacks are being reported, especially among young people, and lives are being lost. Shockingly, the district's in-charge minister has not visited the area in the past three months. This is the height of irresponsibility. One does not need further evidence to see how callously the Congress-led government is running the state.' Turning to the state's financial condition, he said, 'The state's economy has collapsed. The Financial Advisor to the Chief Minister, Bavaraj Rayareddy, has stated that if people want roads and other development works, the government will have to stop the guarantee schemes.' 'When the BJP points out that the Congress-led government is struggling to pay salaries, Chief Minister Siddaramaiah claims that everything is fine,' Vijayendra said. 'But through Rayareddy, the Chief Minister has made it clear to the public that funds for development cannot be allocated unless the guarantee schemes are first delivered. This government has pushed the state into a financial crisis.' 'The people are tired of this government and are regretting bringing it to power. That is the reality. The damage caused is so deep that no Chief Minister will be able to easily fix Karnataka's economy,' he concluded.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Marathi manoeuvres
BMC polls made Uddhav team up with bro Raj. He may not recover politically if he fails UBT Sena's Uddhav Thackeray, a practitioner of fluid politics, joining hands with MNS boss cousin Raj, a far-right hardline Marathi-Maratha politician, is unsurprising – the bros want to win elections to India's richest civic body, BMC. Shiv Sena has won BMC polls since 1985, barring 1992-1996. Raj broke away in 2005 after Uddhav inherited the party. Shiv Sena split in 2022 – Eknath Shinde toppled Uddhav govt and walked away with CMship, sainiks, party and symbol. Cut to the present: MNS has zero electoral relevance, Uddhav is floundering. After Lok Sabha and state polls, elections to BMC – the jewel in Sena's crown – will be Uddhav's third test. He has struggled to articulate his idea of a more inclusive Sena within the secular camp. When he resigned his post ahead of a floor test, it was a principled stand for a politician. It however cost him a potential return to office in the Supreme Court case that followed. Uddhav won the people's sympathy, sweeping LS polls, only to come a cropper in state elections. Mahayuti (BJP+Shinde Sena) has held strong as a unit. UBT Sena long announced it wouldn't contest BMC polls as part of MVA. In tying up with MNS, Uddhav has turned another corner. Is there a meeting ground? If anything, it was Raj who raised eyebrows. He created an opening for a patch-up when he criticised Centre's reaction to Pahalgam attack. MNS brings sainiks, UBT Sena brings Uddhav. Will it be enough? In 2021-2022, OBC quota within BMC was a contentious issue – in 2021, under Uddhav, delimitation increased the number of wards from 227 to 236. Shinde scrapped that in Aug 2022. As the process for the election gets underway, it's such issues that will influence outcomes. The stakes are high for both Shinde Sena-BJP and UBT Sena-MNS. But for Uddhav personally, a loss can be hard to recover from. In the last BMC polls in 2017, undivided Shiv Sena won 84 seats, junior ally BJP 82. No one got a majority in the 227-seat BMC. Sena retained mayor's post. But eight years on, BJP's the Big Bro, and CM Fadnavis is aggressively if quietly calling the shots. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email This piece appeared as an editorial opinion in the print edition of The Times of India.
Time of India
3 hours ago
- Time of India
Brothers join hands for big Mumbai election
Uddhav Thackeray and his cousin Raj Thackeray are both important politicians from Maharashtra. Even though they had problems in the past, they are now joining hands to try and win a very big election — the BMC polls. BMC stands for Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation, which is the body that runs Mumbai city. It is the richest local government in India. Uddhav used to lead the Shiv Sena party, which ruled Mumbai's BMC for many years. But in 2005, Raj left the party and started his own group, called MNS. Then in 2022, another leader, Eknath Shinde, broke away from Uddhav and became the chief minister with help from BJP (the ruling party at the national level). Now, Uddhav's party is much smaller, and Raj's party doesn't win many votes. So, both brothers are teaming up to try and win back control of Mumbai. This is very important for Uddhav, because he already lost in the state assembly elections. Winning the BMC would help him get back his political power. But it's a risky move. Raj is known for being very strong about Marathi pride and sometimes takes extreme positions. Uddhav, on the other hand, has been trying to make his party more inclusive and friendly to all people. That makes their partnership a bit confusing. Still, Raj recently showed he might be ready to work together when he said something against the central government. That opened a door for talks between the two. In the last BMC election in 2017, Shiv Sena got the most seats (84), and BJP came close (82), but no one got a clear majority. This time, the BJP is stronger, and Deputy CM Fadnavis is quietly leading their plan. So, this election is a big deal. If Uddhav and Raj win, they might get a second chance. But if they lose, it could be the end of Uddhav's political journey. Facebook Twitter Linkedin Email Disclaimer Views expressed above are the author's own.
