Rampurhat: In a first-of-its-kind order in Bengal, Rampurhat municipality has asked several meat shops to stay shut on Sunday and Monday (till 10am) in view of Chhath Puja. Three meat shops that have been served notice are located between Rampurhat sub-divisional court and Gandhi Park, a route taken by Chhath devotees.The notice, which triggered a barrage of political criticism, also states that “on remaining days, the slaughtered animals sold in your shop… must be kept covered with red salu cloth”. Any violation will invite legal action, it says.Local meat sellers expressed distress over the sudden order, noting that Sunday is when they see maximum business. One of them said, “The municipality told us to contact ‘borobabu’ (local police station inspector-in-charge) if we had anything to say. We supply meat to restaurants and have regular Sunday customers. They could have asked us to work behind screens or pull down the shutters. Business will definitely suffer but since the administration has ordered it, we have no choice but to comply.”Rampurhat Municipality chairperson Soumen Bhakat, who was earlier with Trinamool, claimed the decision was taken based on inputs from the local Chhath Puja committee. “Because Chhath Puja is a major festival, a big occasion for the Bihari community, this festival has to be observed with great devotion and purity.”Stating that the shops are on the Chhath procession route, Bhakat said, “Devotees walk along that road and it is often seen that blood-stained water or blood is spilled there. This hurts their sentiments and stirs up emotions, which is why this decision has been taken. And naturally, just like in other cities, they have been asked not to hang meat out in the open but cover it with a red cloth or use a dark glass cover. Schoolchildren, especially, commute through the area.”Former Rampurhat MLA and Congress general secretary Milton Rashid accused Bhakat of playing divisive politics to appease BJP. “The chairperson belongs to TMC but now most councillors are maintaining ties with BJP to save their posts. To earn BJP’s goodwill, the chairman has issued such an order,” he alleged. Rashid further criticised the administration for policing what people eat instead of addressing pressing public issues, warning that such moves threaten the town’s long-standing social harmony.CPM district secretary Gautam Ghosh accused the authorities of ignoring fundamental public problems and exploiting religious emotions for political gain.Trinamool spokesperson Kunal Ghosh said, “We oppose imposing govt edicts in what is fundamentally a personal choice—how to perform pujas and what to eat and what not to eat. Pujas will happen; govt is there to make it happen, not to dictate how it will happen.”Rampurhat BJP MLA Dhruba Saha said the shop closure honours the religious sentiments of Chhath devotees. Bengal BJP chief spokesperson Debjit Sarkar dismissed the opposition’s criticism, saying, “If they think these are trivial matters, let them go to court.”
