Source: Kashmir Times

Kawaguchiko, Japan – A new controversy is brewing in Maharashtra’s meat industry as a Hindu organization launched a website called “Malhar Certification” aimed at providing non-Halal meat options for Hindu and Sikh consumers.

New Initiative Launches Alternative to Halal

On March 10, 2025, the website www.malharcertification.com was launched to connect consumers with vendors selling Jhatka meat—a method of animal slaughter different from the Islamic Halal practice. Maharashtra’s Cabinet Minister of Fisheries and Port, Nitesh Rane, publicly endorsed the initiative through social media, urging Hindus to purchase meat products exclusively from shops with Malhar Certification.

“Today, we have taken an important step for the Hindu community of Maharashtra,” Rane stated during the website launch. “This initiative will provide Hindus with access to mutton shops that sell Jhatka meat, prepared according to Hindu customs.”

Community-Focused Platform

According to the minister, the new website is designed to bring together certified Jhatka meat vendors under a single platform. The initiative specifically promotes shops operated by members of the Hindu Khatik community, traditionally associated with the meat trade.

“All Jhatka mutton and chicken vendors across Maharashtra are encouraged to register under the newly introduced web portal,” the minister added, emphasizing the community-building aspect of the initiative.

The Malhar certification aims to verify that meat is processed according to what proponents describe as Hindu religious traditions, focusing on the Jhatka method where animals are killed with a single stroke.

Ethical and Religious Considerations

Supporters of the Jhatka method argue it represents a more humane practice compared to Halal slaughter. They claim Halal causes prolonged suffering to animals due to its ritual requirements, which typically involve a specific cutting method while the animal remains conscious.

Conversely, advocates for Halal certification maintain that their method is scientifically sound and more hygienic because it ensures proper blood drainage from the animal, potentially reducing bacterial contamination in the meat.

Criticism and Broader Implications

The initiative has sparked debate about religious freedoms and market control. Mohammed Jinna, CEO of Halal India Private Limited based in Chennai, criticized the move as politically motivated.

“This is a pre-partition political debate resurfacing in modern India,” Jinna stated. “The opposition to Halal certification represents communalism in its most extreme form.”

He emphasized that Halal is a fundamental religious practice for Muslims and argued that nobody forces non-Muslims to purchase Halal products. “Muslims offer a choice to buy meat products that are produced hygienically,” he added.

Jinna further suggested the initiative might be aimed at reducing the market share of the global Halal meat economy, which he described as a trillion-dollar industry.

Growing Food Politics

This development comes amid what some observers characterize as increasing attempts to influence food habits along religious lines. Last November, Air India reportedly switched to non-Halal food options for Hindu and Sikh passengers. Some reports also indicate that the Indian Armed Forces are supplied with Jhatka meat, with Muslim personnel offered vegetarian alternatives on those days.

Critics view these developments as part of a broader trend to control food practices according to particular religious preferences, while supporters frame them as providing choice and religious accommodation to different communities.

The contrasting approaches to meat certification reflect deeper tensions in contemporary Indian society regarding religious practices, economic interests, and identity politics.

Original Articles:

kashmirtimes.com. (n.d.). Malhar Certification comes up in opposition to Halal Certification. Retrieved April 2, 2025, from https://kashmirtimes.com/news/malhar-certification-for-meat-products