By Abdul Alim Jafri / News Click

Lucknow: Days after municipal bodies of various cities in Uttar Pradesh had imposed a ban on meat shops during the ongoing Chaitra Navratri — a Hindu festival observed over nine days (April 2 to 10) — meat vendors in the state capital Lucknow were paid visits by cops asking them to shut shops for nine days to “avoid any trouble.”

“Two cops of Laulai police chowki came to my shop on the first day of Navratri and asked me to closed it till the festival ends (nine days), saying “upar se order hai” (It’s an order from above). They also said that people were complaining that meat shops were open and there could be trouble if they remain open. We closed our shops due to fear. Not only mine but all nearby shops are closed since the past six days,” Raheem, a small meat vendor at Laulai under Chinhat block, told NewsClick.

Raheem, the sole breadwinner of his family that has been in the meat business for decades, said this was his key source of livelihood. He has to pay a daily rent of Rs 300 for the shop apart from daily household expenses.

“I had opened the shop for half-an-hour one day so that the rent could be paid. Buy, someone informed the cops and they took me to police chowki where I was made to sit for more than an hour. Later, they released me when I insisted that I am having my roza (fasting) and it’s time to break my fast. They took verbal assurance from me not to open my shop during Navratri and let me go.” he claimed.

NewsClick spoke with three other meat vendors in Gomti Nagar, Indira Nagar and Chinhat area, who said the shops have been closed by the police for six days. Police officials allegedly threatened them not to open shops if they want a “peaceful atmosphere.

“Meat is being sold here for the past 20 years but this is the first time we have been asked to shut down by the police officials. Some people, who don’t even stay in nearby areas, have also been asking us to shut the shops during Navratri. Why do they have a problem?” asked Mujeeb, a mutton shop owner near the polytechnic.

“I have four workers in my shop. I will lose about Rs 50,000 if I close my shop for nine days,” said Mujeeb.

Meat shop owners in Chinhat area also told NewsClick that they would open their shops only after Navratri.

“This is the first time that meat shops are being shut down during Navratri in Lucknow by police officials. Our source of income has stopped. We’ll incur losses worth thousands. We have meat products worth lakhs stored in our shops,” said Nayeem, a shopkeeper.

Meanwhile, there was anxiety and fear among meat vendors that if they open shops during Navratri, it might led to Right wing vandals who could go to any extent to damage their shops or them personally.

“We have decided to stop selling meat (chicken and mutton) till Navratri is over. Why invite trouble when the situation is already tense?” said Rauf Qureshi Ahmad, 46, a meat shop owner in Indira Nagar.

This is the situation in the state capital Lucknow despite the state government clarifying that there was no official order for closure of meat shops during the ongoing Navratri festival.

Though most of districts in UP, including Meerut, Agra and Aligarh, had no government orders for closure of meat shops during Navratri, either Hindutva groups or district panchayat/municipal bodies have ordered shutting meat shops during the nine-day period. The situation is similar in eastern UP where all meat shops remain shut since the past six days and will only open only after Navratri ends.

“No order has been issued by the Uttar Pradesh government for the closure of meat shops during the nine-day-long Navratri festival,” said Navneet Sehgal, additional chief secretary, information.

Meanwhile, Food and Drug Authority (FDA) officials said the department had made it clear to officers in all districts that no order for the closure of meat shops during Navratri had been issued by the state government.

“Officers were directed to ensure that cleanliness was maintained near religious spots where devotees assemble to offer prayers. Meat shops should not be located within 200 metres of religious spots. It’s a routine order that is issued by the department every year during the festivity. Officers are also directed to check the slaughter of certain animals,” said additional commissioner, FDA, VP Singh

This article first appeared on newsclick.in