Muslim Qureshi butchers halt bovine meat trade over Govt silence on cow vigilante violence

For over a month, the Muslim Qureshi community, traditionally engaged in butchering and meat trade, has launched a coordinated and indefinite suspension of bovine meat dealings across Maharashtra in response to repeated violent attacks by self-styled cow vigilantes.

The protest, which has emerged from deep-rooted frustration and fear, has rapidly spread from Nagpur to other districts and is being carried out under the banner of the Qureshi Jamaat through meetings held at taluka and district levels, according to The Wire.

The boycott comes at a significant economic cost to the community but has been prompted by growing insecurity and targeted violence, particularly since the 2015 amendment to the Maharashtra Animal Preservation Act, which banned the slaughter of all animals belonging to the cow progeny.

Although buffalo slaughter remains legal under stringent conditions, including certification from veterinary doctors, vigilante groups have continued attacking Muslims involved in meat transport and trade, regardless of the legality of their activities.

The community alleges that these attacks often occur with police complicity, as victims claim that complaints are frequently ignored even when supported by video evidence. The Qureshis, a marginalised Muslim community, have become increasingly isolated and vulnerable, with nearly every family reportedly having faced harassment or violence over the years.

In many areas, particularly in Marathwada, abattoirs have been shut down, and veterinary appointments have been neglected for over a decade, further exacerbating the difficulty in obtaining required certifications for lawful slaughter.

As licensed slaughterhouses become inaccessible, many butchers have had no option but to slaughter animals in their homes, which has led to a rise in criminal cases. The absence of municipal support for sanitation in these unauthorised setups has further worsened conditions, with local authorities allegedly failing to provide any assistance.

The situation has intensified in recent weeks after the Maharashtra government announced plans to bring in a new law to curb beef smuggling, while also pledging to withdraw cases against vigilantes who claim to be enforcing the beef ban.

The government is even considering invoking the Maharashtra Control of Organised Crime Act (MCOCA) against alleged beef smugglers, suggesting an increasingly hardline approach against those involved in the meat trade, while offering legal reprieve to cow protection groups.

The economic consequences of the boycott extend beyond the Qureshi community, as marginalised farmers who rely on selling ageing buffaloes to reinvest in younger livestock now face serious challenges. With the slaughter of around 5,000 animals per day across the state, and individual animals fetching tens of thousands of rupees, the estimated monthly economic loss reaches several hundred crores.