The legend of Ibrahim and his eldest son Ishmael carries two messages for Muslims: that sacrifice means surrendering a loved one in the way of the Almighty as a test of faith; ‘Sacrifice’ is not a thing. Khan questioned the ritual of the helpless animals bought and killed, saying that he could not see any semblance of sacrifice in it. As expected, the clerics and patrons of the religion were shocked, and condemned Khan’s remarks, asking them to keep quiet and stick to the movies. As I remember, some people even argued with him on news shows, trying to patronize him that the ritual is of great importance to believers. Khan argued that blindly following a ritual without imbibing philosophy was deeply flawed. His call for introspection was embraced by prejudiced commentators. He mischievously appropriated the serious criticism of an “insider” to isolate a community for its alleged vandalism. Since then such attempts to elect Muslims in different regions have multiplied.
Evidence suggests that such narratives, including those of meat-eaters, are half-hearted. The National Family Health Survey 2019-21 shows that 57% of Indian men consume fish, chicken or meat at least once a week. 53% of Hindu men are at least a weekly consumer, compared to 80% of Muslim and Christian and 74% of Buddhist men. It is a matter of diet for Indians, not of faith.
During Bakra Eid, only ruminants and camels are eligible for sacrifice. However, according to the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying (DAHD) data, the combined share of buffalo, goat, sheep and cattle in annual meat production was lower than that of poultry at 51% in 2019-20. As far as the meat of the sacrifice is concerned, only one-third remains with the family, and the rest is given to the poor and needy, relatives and friends, including non-Muslims. As in my case, many Muslim families usually share a large portion of meat.
Bakra Eid is celebrated for three days, its festive importance is getting less and less every day. I remember that whenever the first day was a Tuesday (when many Hindus abstain from eating meat), we would cook the main meal the next day, so that our non-Muslim neighbors and friends, who are far more than Muslims, would join the celebration. May be ,
Fake debates over animal slaughter, which only come to the fore during Muslim festivals, not only hide our community-wise trends on food preferences and festive practices, but also deceptively separate the practice from its economics.
The meat industry in India is not only important but is thriving. Data from the Food and Agriculture Organization shows that the country was the sixth largest meat producer in the world in 2018. Our production increased from 43 lakh tonnes in 2008-09 to 62 lakh tonnes in 2013-14. According to DAHD data, this increased to 8.6 million tonnes by 2019-20. The share of livestock in India’s total gross value in 2019-20 was 5.2%. Meat production comprised about a quarter of livestock production.
On the basis of meat availability per capita in 2019-20, the top five states were Telangana, Haryana, Andhra Pradesh, Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland. The share of the Muslim population in all these states, except Telangana (for which data on religious break-up is not available), is less than the India average of 14.2%. It is as low as 2% in Arunachal Pradesh and Nagaland and as low as 7% in Haryana. Of course, Muslims are not the only consumers.
However, this practice deserves scrutiny on two ethical grounds: animal cruelty and environmental costs. Let’s take the second one first. It is true that greenhouse gas emissions per kilogram for red meat products (beef, mutton or lamb) are far higher than those for eggs, dairy, vegetables or grains. Nevertheless, per capita meat consumption in India is equal to one-fifteenth and one-tenth of that in the US and China, respectively. In addition, India’s per capita protein supply is much lower than the world average. While Western markets should have massive emissions, we still need protein sources for holistic nutrition.
The provocative pictures of blood-soaked streets and helpless goats awaiting slaughter on social media on Bakra Eid are misleading. Not in terms of what they reveal, but what they hide – the dilapidated condition of slaughterhouses and battery cages. Most of them are unregulated, lack basic amenities such as spacing, proper flooring, ventilation and sanitation standards, and are in dire need of regulation and upgradation. They not only cause serious inconvenience to the live animals but also lead to unsafe disposal of waste generated by these units.
It is not easy for Muslims, be it the ban on hijab, disruption of Friday prayers, politics of bulldozers or police brutality. Any call for introspection on the moral or spiritual plane, like Irrfan Khan’s, would be a tough sell at such times. It may even be an inappropriate ask.
Tauseef Shahidi is Senior Assistant Editor at Minto