Delhi: ‘Instead of giving employment, these people are snatching employment’ – Bifre Meat businessman

“In our country it is said that the voter is the owner, but seeing their decrees, what do you think that the voter is the owner?” Saying this, 45-year-old Sanjay Kumar, who works at a meat shop in INA Market, expresses his anger.

Sanjay Kumar and many laborers and shopkeepers like him are angry because South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mayor Mukesh Suryan has ordered the shops selling meat to be closed till April 11 on the occasion of Navratri. After which the shops were closed on Tuesday. The biggest impact of the order was on the meat market of INA. There are about 40 meat-fish shops in this market, where about 700 to 800 laborers work.

After this decree, the team of Newslaundry visited INA Market in South Delhi, apart from Chittaranjan Park and Kalkaji area. However, the effect of the bandh was seen only in the INA market. At the same time, shops were open in Chittaranjan Park and Kalkaji. Let us inform that a total of 1500 shops of chicken and meat are registered in South Delhi Municipal Corporation.

No notice received from corporation

Mayor of South Delhi Municipal Corporation Mukesh Suryan instructed the commissioner of the corporation, Gyanesh Bharti, regarding the meat ban on April 4. He said in the notice, “Navratri is from April 2 to April 11, during which devotees worship Maa Durga and go to the temple to seek blessings from the mother for themselves and their families. During these days, devotees eat only vegetarian food. Onion and garlic are also not used. Consumption of non-vegetarian food and alcohol is prohibited but the sale of meat around the temple and in the open makes devotees feel uncomfortable and their religious sentiments and faith are affected.”

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As soon as this letter of the mayor went viral on social media, many media persons reached INA Market. Actually the meat market of INA is famous in Asia. Because meat is also sent from here to many countries, as well as meat and fish are supplied from here in many hotels and restaurants of Delhi.

Mohammad Sabir, who had been running a meat shop in INA for nearly 20 years, had joined this work since 1974. He says, “When Zee News reporters had come here for an interview, we came to know that the shops will be closed here.” He adds, “We were not given any information. Nor have received any notice yet. The news was published in the newspaper, after which we are not opening shop here. Well no one came here to close the shop, we are closing it ourselves.

Mohammad Sajid, 36, also works as a laborer at a meat shop in INA. In this market, the laborers working in the shop are daily wage laborers, who are paid according to the work done every day. That is, for the number of days the shops are closed, they will not get money. Sajid tells Newslaundry, “If it had to be shut down, I would have given notice on the 1st itself. So that we laborers go home for 10 days and the owners do not ask for meat and fish, it does not harm them either. There was already a lot of damage due to Kovid.

He further says, “Neither any officer from the corporation nor any police from the police station has come to close the shops. What we came to know came only from the media. We came to know about it when some media persons came here on Monday evening, then today this news has also appeared in the newspaper.

Making ‘scapegoat’ for politics

45-year-old Sanjay Kumar looks after the accounting work at the meat shop. On the closure decision, he says, “All this is being done for politics. We are being made scapegoats to bake our political bread. India is free but the decree is issued here. It is said that ‘the voter is the owner’, but seeing their decree, it seems that ‘the voter is the owner?’ The owner is the one to issue the decree. This decision is illegal and will remain illegal.”

He goes on to say, “Shutting down shop for one religion is absolutely wrong. Foreign people come here, what will we tell them that.. you cannot get meat because it is Navratri here. You imagine how India’s image will be made in the world. All this is being done for politics. When all of us religions are brothers, then where did the Hindu-Muslim talk come from.

Apart from this, after the closure order was issued, the Foodhall store in DLF Vasant Kunj Mall also closed the meat section. AK Bajaj, owner of two-three shops in INA under the name Bombay Fish Shop, tells Newslaundry, “We were not given any information earlier. All dictatorship is going on that shut the shop. We have goods worth lakhs which will get spoiled now. We are being threatened that the license will be canceled if we do not stop it.” Mohammad Aftab works in a meat shop since the age of 20. He gets 700 rupees every day, which he sends to his family living in Uttar Pradesh. He is survived by five children and wife.

Aftab says, “What will we do if this shop remains closed for 10 days. We also have children and children, who will see them. How will our children’s education be? He says, “If we had to close, we had to tell it first. So that the shopkeepers do not keep stock of meat and fish so that they do not suffer. If we had known earlier, we would have gone to the village. The order has arrived.”

Mohammad Sajid, who works as a daily wage earner, says, “They get Rs 500-600. But now we have a problem with the shops being closed. It’s Ramzan, everyone needs money but the shops are closed.” He further adds, “We are facing problems due to the closure. INAs come from Ghazipur by paying fare. From above it is the season of festivals, from where will you get the money? When no one had any problem, then why was the order of closure issued.

It has been said in the letter of the Mayor that shops around the temples should be closed. Whereas there is no temple near the place where there are meat shops in INA Market. Shopkeeper Krishna Kumar says, “Is there a problem in Navratri with our meat and fish. Is there no Navratri for alcoholics? Liquor is being sold to them at a discount, do they not come during Navratri? Secondly, religion has nothing to do with this decision, it is a direct attack on our business.

Mohammad Sabir, owner of the meat shop, says, “It is a bad policy to close the shops. Instead of giving employment, the government is working to snatch employment. If the shops open then everyone will be benefited, otherwise the problem is the problem.

Due to this order of the mayor, there is confusion among the shopkeepers. Because till now no order has been issued regarding this. And the shopkeepers are not able to open the shop due to fear.

Amit Kumar, director of SDMC’s Press and Information Bureau, told Newslaundry that the letter should not be taken as an order for now. He says, “The mayor has written a letter to the commissioner regarding the bandh but it is yet to be investigated. This is not an order. We will investigate it and issue instructions in a day or two.” He said that shops can be opened now and whatever decision will be taken will be keeping in mind the ‘law’.