Butchers’ Butchered
Saira Kurup

Holding out against the Delhi High Court order for as many as 80 days, butchers gave in and took to slaughtering at the Idgah abattoir.  However, the number of animals slaughtered each day will remain as directed by the court: 2000 goats and sheep and 500 buffaloes.

This is a signal victory for Maneka Gandhi, and the committee the High Court had appointed to examine the prevailing conditions in the abattoir.

On March 18 1994, the Delhi High Court ordered the closure of the city’s main abattoir at Idgah in response to a public interest petition filed by Maneka Gandhi.  Approximately 12,000 animals were being slaughtered everyday, about five times more than its capacity, in inhuman and unhygenic conditions.

Warning signals had been sounded earlier about the problem.  In August 1993 a committee had been set up to report on the situation in the slaughterhouse.  It comprised Raj Panjwani, Atul Nanda and seema Midha, assisted by Dr. Naresh Garg (vet), G. S. Bhatia from Development Alternatives,  Gautam Vohra from DRAG and M. Khalid.

According to the committee’s report a large number of butchers had alleged that the semblance of cleaning activity was undertaken only  because of  the committee’s presence.  In fact, the DA Newsletter of September’93 gave a full account of the committee’s visit in an article by Gudakesh entitled “Lambs To The Slaughter : The Idgah Experience”.

The report had forwarded many suggestions for the removal of filth, provision of running water, lighting, proper maintenance of carcasses and more humane methods of killing.

The abattoir is located in the heart of a busy commercial and residential area.  The committee suggested relocation of the slaughterhouse and if proper maintenance was not possible, then it should be shut down.

It shows the indifference of the government towards public interest that it failed to take any action on the recommendations made in Ms Gandhi’s petition until the High Court directive.  Later the matter took on a communal colour.  what started as a simple petition to ensure hygenic standards in the 90-year-old abattoir turned into a political power struggle.

The struggle is by no means over.  A sharp watch needs to be kept so that the butchers do not surreptitiously cross the limit on animals imposed by the court.  In the long run, the solution is to shift the abattoir to a less populated area.

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