Ahmedabad: "Why can't you restrain yourself from eating for one or two days" was the question the Gujarat High Court asked the petitioner who approached the court challenging the Ahmedabad Municipal Corporation (AMC)'s notice asking the sole slaughterhouse in the city to close during a Jain festival.
The Kul Hind Jamiat-Al Quresh Action Committee Gujarat, a representation of slaughters, approached the court seeking a favourable order against the AMC's decision that was taken after passing a resolution, which demanded the closure of the slaughterhouse due to Paryushan Parv between August 24 and 31, and associated festivities on September 5 and 9.
Hearing the petitioner's plea, Justice Sandeep Bhatt said "you can restrain yourself from one day or two days from eating."
In its counterargument, the Committee said that the concern is not about restraining but it about the court asking to restrain from the fundamental right of eating. "we cannot imagine our country with even one minute of restraining our fundamental rights. On other previous occasions, slaughterhouses were closed. Therefore, we came before this court if it passes an appropriate order," the petitioner said.
The petitioner submitted, "Now there's only one slaughterhouse in Ahmedabad city and it was done on the occasion of Paryushan, a Jain festivity. Appropriate representation was made before the AMC commissioner on August 23."
The petitioner further argued that the operation of slaughterhouses will have "no effect on any of the persons" and as per National Institute of Nutrition (NIN) guidelines, one must consume protein-rich foods. The petitioner also submitted that in December 2021 in an oral remark by the Gujarat High Court, the AMC was reminded not to try and control the food habits of people.
The Committee further argued that the operation of slaughterhouses will in no way affect any people, besides citing an oral observation made by the Gujarat High Court in December 2021 when it asked the AMC not to control the food habits of people.
In December 2021, coming down heavily on civic bodies in Gujarat that had ordered the removal of handcarts selling non-vegetarian food items on streets, the Gujarat High Court questioned the state if it had any problem with what people ate.