BMC will enforce a two-day ban on animal slaughter and meat sale amid Paryushan Parv

The BMC will close Deonar abattoir on September 4 and 7 during the Paryushan festival, following a Bombay HC directive on a Jain trust's plea for a meat ban

Mumbai: A day after the Bombay high court (HC) directed the civic bodies in the state to urgently consider and decide a Jain trust’s plea seeking a temporary ban on animal slaughter and sale of meat during the Paryushan festival, the Deonar abattoir, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will remain shut for two days on September 4 and 7, this year.

The Deonar abattoir, run by the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) will remain shut for two days on September 4 and 7.(Representative image)

Paryushan Parv is an annual holy festival for Jains and is celebrated for spiritual upliftment and self-purification. This year, the festival is being observed between August 31 and September 7.

The civic body had passed a corporation resolution in October 2015 for keeping the abattoir closed only for 15 days annually, which excludes Paryushan Parva. However, since the festival is coinciding with Ganesh Chaturthi, Paryushan Parva has been included in the abattoir’s holiday calendar.

Stating that Mumbai is a city of great diversity, municipal commissioner Bhushan Gagrani in his statement on Friday said that the Deonar slaughterhouse supply is not limited to Mumbai but almost covers the entire MMR region.

The livelihood of people, caretakers, labourers, butchers and meat sellers is dependent upon the business of the abattoir and therefore, keeping slaughter activities closed for the entire period will be unjust.

“...however, it is also necessary to respect the feelings of the Jain community. The inclusion of the festival in the abattoir’s annual holiday calendar will spread the message of peaceful co-existence,” he said.

“The department will, however, review the dates of closure in a year and ensure that the total number of days in a year do not exceed 15 days,” said Gagrani. The BMC’s temporary ban on the sale of animal meat and slaughter comes in the wake of the Sheth Motishaw Lalbaug Jain Charities petition in the high court seeking a direction to the BMC and the civic bodies of Pune, Mira Bhayandar and Nashik to expeditiously decide on the representation made by them. The trust said it sought a ban on animal slaughter and sale of its meat from August 31 to September 7.

Senior advocate BN Chatterji, representing the charities, had argued that the globally observed festival is a time for spiritual reflection, fasting, meditation, and non-violence, central to Jain beliefs, including ‘ahimsa’. The plea emphasised that animal slaughter during Paryushan Parv would be detrimental to the cause of Jainism.

The trust in its plea said members of the Jain community were forced to witness animal slaughter during the period of Paryushan Parv.

Taking note of the HC’s directive, the Vasai Virar City Municipal Corporation (VVCMC) on Friday issued a notification, requesting people to keep the meat shops closed on August 31 and on September 7, in view of “Paryushan Parv” observed by the Jain community. “We have decided to honour the demand of the Jain community and have issued the order,” said a civic officer.

The Mira-Bhayander Municipal Corporation also issued a notification on Friday stating that all the meat shops in the region will remain closed on August 31 and September 7. However, between September 1 and 6, there will be no compulsion for meat shops to remain shut in the region.

With inputs from Megha Sood