Difference between Halal and Jhatka Meat, Religious angle to it explained

Ground Report | New Delhi: The national general secretary of the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), CT Ravi, has called for a boycott of 'halal' meat, claiming it was part of the 'economic jihad' being spread by the Muslim community.

The BJP legislature said the meat was established so that no member of the community does business with others, which has been imposed on them. He spoke to the media on Tuesday, March 29 in Bangalore.

In November 2021, the BJP in Kerala also started a campaign demanding that the state government ban the “halal system” and halal boards in restaurants. Simultaneously, there was an ongoing disinformation campaign that Muslims spit on food to make it halal. Hence, from time to time, this ghost rises in different parts of the country.

What is halal meat?

Halal is an Arabic word that means lawful or permitted. In reference to food, it is the dietary standard, as prescribed in the Qur'an (the Muslim scripture).

The opposite of halal is haram, which means illegal or prohibited. Halal and haram are universal terms that apply to all facets of life. These terms are commonly used in relation to food products, meat products, cosmetics, personal care products, pharmaceuticals, food ingredients, and food contact materials. While many things are clearly halal or haram, there are some things that are not clear.

More information is needed to categorize them as halal or haram. Such items are often referred to as mashbooh, meaning dubious or questionable.

Animals must be alive and healthy at the time of slaughter and all blood is drained from the carcass. During the process, a Muslim will recite a dedication, known as a tasmiya or shahada.

There is a debate about the elements of halal, such as whether stunning is allowed.

Stunning cannot be used to kill an animal, according to the Halal Food Authority (HFA), a nonprofit organization that monitors compliance with halal principles. But it can be used if the animal survives and is later slaughtered using halal methods, the HFA adds.

Business of Halal Meat

There has been a growing demand for halal meat and food in the world and in India as consumers have become more aware of it.

The market is forecast to grow from $2.09 trillion in 2021 to $3.27 trillion in 2028, with a CAGR of 6.56%, according to a Fortune Business Insights report.

The increased CAGR has been attributed to growing demand for halal products in Islamic countries and Muslim populations.

India is one of the world's leading suppliers of halal meat along with other non-Muslim majority countries such as Brazil and Australia.

What is Jhatka Meat

The term Jhatka, in Hindi means fast. In this process, the animal's head is severed in one blow and the animal dies instantly.

In the jhatka killing method, the cut is made on the dorsal (back) side of the neck to dislodge the entire spinal column from the skull; this results in not only cervical dislocation but decapitation (decapitation) in a single blow, and thus a stronger sharp object is used.

Therefore, Jhatka is a form of slaughter in which an animal is killed immediately with a single blow, without the animal needing to bleed constantly for a period of time before dying.

Why are some people against halal meat?

According to BJP General Secretary CT Ravi, halal is an "economic jihad". He explains that it is used as a Jihad (religious war), so that other communities cannot do business with meat. "Has been imposed. When they think that halal meat should be used, what's wrong with saying that it shouldn't be used?” Ravi asked reporters.

He said that halal meat offered to 'their God' is appreciated by them (Muslims), but for Hindus, it is someone's leftovers. He added that halal has been designed in such a way that products are bought only from Muslim merchants and not from others.

“When Muslims refuse to buy meat from Hindus, why should you insist that Hindus buy from them? What right do people have to ask this?” Ravi asked, adding that if Muslims agree to eat non-halal meat, Hindus will also use halal meat.

Hindu Jagruthi Samithi, Srirama Sene, Bajrang Dal and other right-wing groups have called for halal certification to be removed from meat shop signs. They have also urged Hindus not to buy halal-cut meat. Instead, they have advised Hindus to buy meat cut according to the traditional Hindu method called 'Jhatka'.

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