Government removes the word ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual

Congratulations to the Central Government for this decision by taking cognisance of the opposition by Hindus. The Government should not wait for the Hindus to request cancellation of anti-Hindu rules and laws, but legislate laws to protect the Hindus’ Deities, Dharma and society !

The controversy began about 6 months ago, when it was deemed that the issue of the Red Meat Manual promotes and imposes Halal method of slaughter in India. It was alleged that the use of the term ‘Halal’ gives an unfair business advantage to Muslims. The older manual read : ‘The animals are slaughtered strictly according to ‘Halal’ method to meet the requirement of Islamic countries’.

New Delhi – In a welcome move, the Government of India has removed the word ‘Halal’ from its Red Meat Manual issued by Agricultural and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APEDA). APEDA said that there is no condition imposed by the Government of India and that it does not mandate that only Halal Meat has to be exported. However, it is the requirement of the majority of countries importing the meat. APEDA further clarified that Halal Certification agencies are accredited directly by the respective importing counties and no Government agency has a role in it.

Hindu Janajagruti Samiti has been at the forefront along with other Hindu organisations in a fight against ‘Economic Jihad’ waged by religious fanatics through Halal certification. HJS has been demanding the abolition of Halal Certification by private bodies and has also demanded the removal of its compulsion in various commercial sectors.

About 6 months ago, the issue of the Red Meat Manual reading as if it promotes and is imposing the Halal method of slaughter in India had surfaced. Platform UpWord had tweeted a picture with some problematic wording of the manual. The excerpt tweeted by UpWord read – “All animals must be slaughtered by Halal method in the presence of Holy men approved by the Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind as per Islamic Shariyat, for certification”.

Harinder Sikka from Halal Niyantran Manch (Halal Regulation Forum), one of the main campaigners against the certification, said that this was just the first step. “We will continue our campaign. Halal meat is haram for us Sikhs”, he said. Sikh activists have also approached the Government and the Civil Aviation Ministry to stop serving Halal meat on commercial flights in India.

Harinder Sikka, who had on several occasions petitioned the Government to remove the term said, “Not only the meat produced in the country for import but meat served everywhere in India, be it hotels, restaurants, trains, flights, are Halal meat, which is considered haram for many communities here as well as other countries”.

Harinder Sikka also says the requirement to secure Halal-compliant attestations from Islamic bodies translated into a tax from bodies of clerics like Jamat-i-Ulema who charged thousands for issuing the certification. VHP had also argued that the requirement for certification had rendered non-Muslims jobless and turned the meat and poultry business into a monopoly of a particular religious community.

Taking stock of the situation, the Government of India has now changed the Red Meat Manual to exclude the word ‘Halal’ from the manual altogether. For example, in the older manual, the section on ‘Food Safety Management Systems (FSMS) had an entire sub-section on ‘Halal’. However, now that section has been removed completely. Several changes have been made in the Red Meat Manual wherein the word ‘Halal’ has been removed. Words like ‘Islamic’, ‘Halal’, ‘Ulema’, ‘Shariyat’ etc. have been removed.

Halal method of slaughter promotes Islamic hegemony

It is important to note that Halal is not just a dietary preference but a method that imposes Islamic supremacy on those who do not follow the faith. Halal can only be performed by a Muslim man. Thus, non-Muslims are automatically denied employment at a Halal firm. Even the labelling of the meat can be done by Muslims only.

Thus, it’s quite apparent that when a person demands that he be served only Halal meat, he isn’t merely exercising a diet preference but he is also playing a part in deciding who is involved in the process of slaughtering the animal and labelling it. Furthermore, Muslims are barred by their scriptures from consuming non-Halal food. Thus, when a Muslim specifically demands Halal meat, it is an explicit instance of them demanding service that can only be performed by Muslims. The obvious implication is that a Muslim denies service from a non-Muslim due to his religious identity.

Essentially, the entire industry thus ensures the exclusion of people of all other faiths and ensures that only Muslims are employed. Not just that, they ensure that the meat is slaughtered while chanting Islamic slogans. Today establishments such as McDonalds, etc. serve only Halal meat.

The way forward

While the change in terminology by the Government is a welcome step which opens a window for Hindus, the next steps have to be taken by Hindus themselves and not the Government. The change in the wording gives Hindus an opening, the Government cannot create a demand for Jhatka meat and this is something that Hindus would have to do for themselves.

It is a fact that the Halal method of slaughter will continue on the ground since the demand for Halal meat is created by Muslims. If Hindus want the Jhatka method to take predominance, the demand itself will have to be created first, just as Islamic Nations and those who follow Islam created for Halal.

Only recently, the South Delhi Municipal Corporation passed a resolution which has been approved by the standing committee of the civic body. It says, “According to Hinduism and Sikhism, consuming Halal meat is forbidden and in opposition to the Dharma … Therefore, the committee resolves that this route be given to eating places and meat shops that it should be displayed mandatorily as to which meat is being bought and served by them … that Halal or Jhatka meat is available here”, furthered the resolution.

This was possible because demand was created by Hindus for Jhatka meat. After the raging debate, several Hindus asked for Jhatka meat at eateries and questioned them about why Jhatka was not being served, which could be the dietary preference of people who belonged to faiths other than Islam.

Big achievement for Hindus ! :

**Mr. Ramesh Shinde (National Spokesperson, Hindu Janajagruti Samiti)**

Mumbai – It is a great achievement for Hindus that APEDA has dropped the term ‘Halal’ from its Meat Manual. ‘Halal certificates’ were mandatory for meat export under the pretext that the meat was being exported to Islamic Nations; whereas, nearly 46% (6 lakh tonnes) of India’s meat is exported to non-Islamic country Vietnam alone, where the Halal certificate is not required. However, due to pro-Islamic policies of the past Governments, the meat trade, which amounts to Rs. 23,646 crore annually, went on to strengthen the Halal economy. This decision will benefit the Hindu butcher community, which was on the verge of becoming jobless since the Halal meat processing is allowed only to Muslim employees.

Decision on forcing the majority Hindus to consume Halal meat needs to reviewed !

Corporations such as India Tourism Development Corporation (ITDC), Air India, Railway’s IRCTC give contracts only to Halal meat suppliers. The Parliament’s mess is managed by railway catering, which also supplies only Halal meat. Hindus do not even have the freedom to eat meat according to their religion. Hence the Government should stop making it mandatory for these agencies to use only Halal meat.