ROBIN ROY
Following the Bihar gov ernment’s stand on meat and fish sales in the open, the issue has taken neighbouring state West Ben gal by storm. With hardly three months for the polls, the TMC has raked up the issue and has taken the same to town. On February 17, West Ben gal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee alleged that the BJP would ban fish and meat in the state if it came to power, triggering a massive polit ical exchange. In response, Bengal BJP president Samik Bhattacharya said people in the state “will continue to eat whatever they want to eat” and made it clear that there is no question of banning fish or meat in Bengal. Speaking on the Bihar ban, the CM questioned how small traders would survive if sales were shifted inside buildings or malls. She went on to say, in Bengal sell fresh fish on the streets and earn their daily bread that way. “Only a few people can afford space in shopping malls. What about the thousands who sit outside and sell veg etables and fish?” she asked, adding that such politics would hurt poor families. Mamata further said that if anyone tried to ban fish, meat or eggs in Bengal, people would not accept the same. She accused the BJP of playing divisive politics and warned against any attempt to weak en democratic and constitu tional rights. “No chair is per manent. People are permanent,” she said, add ing that the public would re spond at the right time if de mocracy were bulldozed. Meanwhile, BJP’s West Bengal unit chief, Bhattacha rya said in a press conference that no such decision had been taken or even discussed by the BJP in Bengal. He said Bengalis are known for their love of fish and that there is no question of stopping peo ple from eating what they like. “Can Bengalis not eat fish? Bengal will have its fish and meat,” he said. He also clar ified that the party’s stand is only against the open sale of beef, and not fish or other meat products. He also said that people in Bihar or Ben gal would never accept such restrictions. The state BJP leaders said that the clarifi cation was required to clear any confusion regarding the party’s stand. Even as the scenario in Ben gal has been described above, let me decode in actuality what the Bihar government’s ban meant. I shall also deal in other states and their policies and rules on the same. The Bihar government’s recent decision to ban open air and unlicensed meat sales in urban areas has tossed up several issues and questions. The Bihar government had framed the decision as a step towards cleaner cities. Look ing at the positive side, for malised trade may be stabi lising supply chains, ensuring cleaner and safer products. Studies also show that raw meat from open markets car ries high microbial loads, with prevalence of bacteria like E. coli (up to 80%) and Staph ylococcus aureus (around 58%). Regulated shops, on the other hand, could ensure better hygiene standards. It may be noted that Bihar is a state with major non-vege tarian dietary habits, produc ing around 4,20,000 tonnes of meat and over 9,59,000 tonnes of fish per year. It must be noted that this is not a prohibition on meat or fish consumption. However, the decision targets only unli censed and open-air vending units. The order prohibits the sale of meat and fish on roadsides, public thoroughfares, within urban municipal areas. With the ban in place, sales are now restricted to licenced shops that comply with hy giene standards such as prop er waste disposal. Moreover, these shops must use barriers such as tinted glasses and cur tains to ensure that meat is not visible. Vendors without licences will have to get the approved documents from municipal bodies. Existing licensed ones may be relocated. The ban primarily draws from Section 345 of the Bihar Municipal Act, 2007, which says that no person can pur sue the trade of a fishmonger, butcher or poultry seller with out a license from the Chief Municipal Officer. It may be noted that Uttar Pradesh earlier had imple mented “no-visibility” rules in 2017 and demanded procur ing licences and prohibiting sales within 500 metres of religious shrines. There too, shops had to use black glass to shield products. Assam has implemented strict laws on beef under the Assam Cattle Preservation Act, 2021, restricting sales near temples or in non-beef-con suming areas. The state has recently extended bans to public consumption in events and hotels. In Jharkhand, it may be noted that a 2025 High Court directive banned open meat sales statewide, citing health hazards and the psychological impact on kids. Bihar’s meat and fish sectors are important to its economy. It may be noted that Bihar is the country’s fourth largest fish producer and tenth larg est meat producer. The live stock sector contributes 28% to agricultural GDP and 20% to the state’s overall GDP, em ploying millions often from marginalised communities. However, the ban may disrupt vendors who are informally inducted into the business and who dominate roadside mar kets. Relocation will also re quire capital and in some cas es lead to heavy losses making the businesses unviable. Bihar’s timing before Ramzan and the subsequent Eid, has heightened anxiety among Muslim traders. How well the ban works will be the responsibility of the Municipal bodies which will be involved for inspections, licensing and penalties. (Robin Roy is a Senior Journalist and former Senior Associate Editor, O Heraldo, Goa)
