Varanasi Bans Meat Shops for the First Time During Navratri

For the first time, all meat, fish and poultry shops within the Varanasi municipal limits will be closed throughout Chaitra Navratri, starting Sunday. The decision was cleared by the executive committee of the Varanasi Municipal Corporation, headed by Mayor Ashok Kumar Tiwari, in a meeting on Thursday, as per The Times of India.

The closure is being timed with Eid, which would be celebrated on Monday, based on the moon sighting. Strict enforcement of the decision was insisted upon by the mayor, declaring, “The executive-approved proposal to close meat shops during Navratri will be enforced rigorously.”

Tiwari further urged consideration from the Muslim community, saying, “They (Muslims) should consider that their Hindu brothers find Navratri the most sacred. So, at least for nine days, let it be. Is anyone stopping them for 360 days?” He highlighted Varanasi’s status as a ‘religious and cultural capital’, with nearly 2 lakh pilgrims visiting daily. “A tradition should be followed, and it should not be seen as something forced,” he added.

The committee member Madan Mohan Dubey moved during the meeting to extend the closure to meat, fish, and poultry shops for the whole Navratri period. Further, sales of cigarettes outside religious places and schools were banned, and a new license fee for cigarette vendors was approved.

Last week, Varanasi Municipal Corporation (VMC) officials, with city veterinary officer Dr. Ajay Pratap Singh at the helm, imposed closure of 26 non-vegetarian eateries close to Kashi Vishwanath Temple. The operation also spilled over to Muslim-dominated localities, such as shopping complexes in Naisadak and Beniabagh.

The idea of banning meat and liquor outlets around the temple was first floated by Adivishveshwar corporator Indresh Kumar Singh, based on Section 91 (2) of the Municipal Corporation Act, 1959. During January, VMC corporators observed that temple cities like Ayodhya, Mathura, and Haridwar do not have meat and liquor outlets in a two to five kilometer radius. The proposal was voted through unanimously.