In India’s largest state of Uttar Pradesh, products with Halal certificates have been banned from Saturday. The ban has come into effect following an FIR lodged at Lucknow’s Hazratganj police station on Friday against halal certifying establishments.
On social media, while some people are appreciating this initiative of the state government, many people are calling it a double standard and calling it an anti-Muslim policy of the government.
UP government on Saturday 18 November immediately banned the manufacture, storage, distribution and sale of Halal certified food items.
According to news agency ANI and a notification on social media, “The UP government has said that vegetable products like oil, soap, toothpaste and honey do not require halal certificates and that this will be done by certain communities and their It reveals a deliberate criminal conspiracy to target the products.’
It added that ‘this restriction is in the interest of public health and to prevent confusion. And export products have been exempted from this ban.’
The UP government’s order said that ‘Halal certification on food products is a parallel system which creates ambiguity about the quality of food items and is totally against the basic intention of the said Act and Section 89 of the said Act. Not applicable under
Why ban on ‘Halal’ items?
The move came after the government said it had recently received information that dairy items, sugar, bakery products, peppermint oil, edible oil etc. were being labeled with Halal certification.
It further stated that ‘there is no law in the government regulations relating to drugs, medical devices and cosmetics to mark halal certification on the label, nor in the Medicines and Cosmetics Act, 1940 and related rules for halal certification. There is no mention. Direct or indirect mention of halal certification on the label of medicines, medical devices or cosmetics is a falsity under the said Act, which makes it a punishable offence.’
According to the report of Nadustan Times, an FIR has been registered against four institutions that issued halal certificates under various provisions at the Hazratganj police station on Friday.
The FIR was registered on the complaint of Shailendra Kumar Sharma, a social activist resident of Aish Bagh, Moti Lake Colony, Lucknow.
It includes sections 153A of the Indian Penal Code for promoting enmity between two groups on the basis of religion, 420 for cheating, 467 forging documents, 468 for using forged documents for cheating, 471 for using forged documents as genuine. The FIR has been registered under sections 384 illegal receipt of money, 120B (criminal conspiracy), 298 statements with intent to hurt religious sentiments of any person and 505 statements creating public disorder.
The entities accused in the FIR include Chennai-based Halal India Private Limited, Delhi-based Jamiat Ulema Hind Halal Trust, Halal Counseling of India and Maharashtra-based Jamiat Ulama in Mumbai, along with receiving money in the name of halal certification. There are some unknown persons involved.
Jamiat Ulema Hind, nominated in the FIR, has given an explanation about this through his social media handle on Saturday itself.
Description of Jamiat Ulama Hind
In its statement, the Jamiat said that the Jamiat Ulema Hind Halal Trust’s certification process is tailored to the needs of manufacturers for both export purposes and domestic distribution in India. Globally the demand for Halal certified products is high, and it is imperative for Indian companies to obtain such certification, which is endorsed by our Ministry of Commerce, Government of India (see Ministry of Commerce Notification No. 25/2022-23). ‘
Along with this he added that obtaining certification or not is ‘also a matter of choice for individuals and manufacturers who prefer certain certifications for their own satisfaction. This saves a large number of consumers from using products that they do not want for various reasons and ensures availability of need-based products in the market. Those who do not wish to use such products are free not to use them.’
Halal certification is established as an important economic activity benefiting our nation, says Jamiat. This is not only for importing countries but also for tourists visiting India, especially those who seek Halal certified products during their stay, as per Ministry of Commerce and Industry (No. 03/2023 dated 6 April 2023) is highlighted by.’
The institute says it adheres to government regulations and requires such institutes to be registered with the NABCB (National Accreditation Board for Certification Bodies under the Quality Council of India), a milestone. It is what the Jamiat Ulema Hind Halal Trust has achieved.
India Halal Certification was introduced in 1974 as a slaughter certificate. According to a Hindustan Times report, there is no record of such credentials before.
Muslims and people of many other religions prefer slaughter. In Muslim countries, when the meat of big animals started to be exported from India, Muslim countries talked about the meat of animals slaughtered according to Islamic law, because in Islam, only animals slaughtered in a special way are considered usable. .
Niaz A Farooqui, CEO of Jamiat Ulama Halal Trust, is currently participating in the ongoing ‘Halal Expo’ in Indonesia.
He said that there is a set standard for halal certification at the global level which his organization follows.
We asked him how Halal certification is required for vegetable products and he replied: ‘For example, if potato chips are being exported from India to Indonesia and they need certification, we can do this certification. will check that the items used in it are usable in terms of Islam or not. How the oil was used in it or what are the other ingredients and then we confirm its halal based on that.’
With another example he mentioned that ‘in India these days cow urine (cow urine) is used in many things which is unacceptable to Muslims as well as many domestic and foreign consumers. In such a case, the manufacturers can get their products certified by them and all this is done at their request while the Jamiat Halal Council has been authorized to do so.
According to Mr. Farooqui, his organization has approval from Malaysia, Indonesia, Gulf Cooperation Countries, Singapore, South Korea, Qatar, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, etc. and his organization is also a member of the World Halal Food Council.
He says, ‘Halal certificates are not only for Halal consumers but also provide a lot of information to other consumers so that they know what they are consuming.’
Echoes on social media
However, trends on social media in this regard are among the top trends in India. Many are congratulating Yogi’s BJP government for their move while many are calling it ridiculous.
A user named Syed Aleem Elhi wrote: “First of all banning Halal products in UP is completely ridiculous and highly condemnable.”
Tagging Yogi Adityanath and the UP government, he further wrote, ‘If you really want to ban them, why don’t you ban the big companies of the world in UP who export beef with halal certification all over the world. do?’
A user named Mr. Sinha wrote that this is the best news of this month, if not this year. Halal is not just a tag. It is a money making machine for anti-Hindu agenda. It is a weapon for the conquest of India.’
Similar things are being repeated from a certain circle and appeals are being made to make India a ‘Halal Free’ country. Along with this, the central government is also being talked about imposing a ban like the UP government.
“UP is India’s largest meat exporting state and bhakts (BJP supporters) are jubilant,” wrote one user.
Journalist Rifaat Javed wrote that ‘All of you should know that Yogi Adityanath will order only halal food for himself. These restrictions are just to show the public. Sanghis (radical Hindus) are the biggest hypocrites.’
It should be noted that the Halal debate in India is very old. Although the UP government has taken the initiative to ban such products in India, they have exempted items that are exported.
Observers believe that similar restrictions may be imposed in several other BJP-ruled states before the upcoming elections.
Earlier, the Department of Agriculture and Processed Food Products Export Development Authority (APIDA) of the Indian Ministry of Commerce and Industry has removed the word ‘halal’ from the guidelines on halal meat, which means that all meat exporting companies Halal certification will no longer be required, but only for companies that export meat to Muslim countries.