The Bombay High Court (HC) has urged civic bodies across Maharashtra to quickly take a decision on a plea filed by a Jain public charitable trust seeking a temporary ban on animal slaughter and meat sales from August 31 to September 7 for the Paryushan Parv festival. This annual religious celebration is an important event for the Jain community.
The trust named Sheth Motishaw Lalbaug Jain Charities, approached the court to direct the Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) and the civic bodies of Pune, Mira Bhayandar, and Nashik for a ban on animal slaughter and meat sales.
Senior advocate BN Chatterji represented the trust in court. He argued that Paryushan Parv is an internationally recognised festival focused on spiritual reflection, self-purification, fasting, meditation, and non-violence.
Chatterji said that the festival highlights the Jain principle of “ahimsa,” or non-violence. Chatterji claimed that allowing animal slaughter during this period would harm the religious sentiments of the Jain community.
The division bench, led by Chief Justice D K Upadhyaya and Justice Amit Borkar, accepted the significance of the issue. The court noted that a large portion of Maharashtra’s population belongs to the Jain community. The bench stated that the failure of the authorities to act on the trust’s representation had aggrieved the community.
The court directed the authorities to make a decision on the trust’s plea. The court noted that the festival is fast approaching and the matter should be addressed quickly.
The trust also pointed out that Jain community members were forced to witness animal slaughter during Paryushan Parv, which goes against their religious beliefs. The court has asked the civic bodies to consider the trust’s request and respond appropriately before the festival begins.
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