Malhar meat sparks debate over religion, commerce

Critics call the move, an alternative to Halal-certified products, divisive, which will impact butchers' earnings

- Shrinivas Deshpande

INE: The launch of Malharcertification.com, a platform promoting sale of certified mutton and chicken sourced exclusively from Hindu butchers, from the Khatik community, has triggered a debate in the state.

Launched by state fisheries and port development minister Nitish Rane earlier this week in Mumbai, the initiative has been positioned as an alternative to Halal certification. While its opponents argue that the meat is hygienic and ethically sourced, critics see it as a politically motivated move aimed at countering the dominance of Halal-certified products.

The certification, introduced by the Hindu Dalit Khatik Mahasangh, an association of Hindu butchers, on Monday, guarantees meat products sold through the platform are sourced only from Hindu butchers who follow the Jhatka method of killing. While Halal involves a slow bleeding process of a healthy animal, adhering to Islamic guidelines, Jhatka involves killing an animal with a single swift stroke.