Nabadweep Municipality Appeals Residents To Go Veg On Holi

Mass meeting at Rabindra Sanskriti Manch in NabadweepMass meeting at Rabindra Sanskriti Manch in Nabadweep

Nabadweep, Feb. 22: The Nabadweep Municipality authorities today appealed the residents in the town to go vegetarian during the three days holi festival scheduled for March 1-3 responding to a request made by different Vaishnab organizations.

The appeal of by the Trinamul ruled Municipality, however, evoked a mixed reaction in the town. While the many Vaishnab temple heads and organizations have welcomed the initiative, there are many others who have raised question about the authority of the Municipality to make such appeal adopting an official resolution.

Nabadweep is considered as a holy town being the birthplace of Lord Sri Chaitanya. The town has about 200 Vaishnava temples and Maths.

Traders have alleged that the appeal would eventually rob the fish and meat seller of their income.

The resolution was adopted on Thursday by the Nabadweep Municipality in a mass meeting held at Rabindra Sanskriti Mancha, where people from different walks of life including a many heads of Vaishnab temples and organizes, who were present

The reason behind the appeal is to discourage people to buy meats and fishes so that no blood shade and gory scene occur in the public.

Nabadweep’s Trinamul MLA Pundarikakshya Saha said: “There was a long standing demand from many Vaishnab organizations in the town to ban sale on open slaughter of animal during various Vaishnab festivals. This creates visual pollution. So respecting their appeal, we have made an appeal to become vegetarian just for three day’s”.

However, the fish and meat traders attended the meeting indicated that that they would keep their shop closed only on the day of Holi – March 2 as they would not be able to afford the loss for consecutive three days.

Nabadweep Municipality chairman Biman Krishna Saha said: “We have not issued any fatwah to the people, rather made an appeal before people on the basis of a mutual understanding to become vegetarian only for three days of the holi festival.

A local resident said: “The appeal is logical as there are many festivals during which people do not eat meat and fish. It also happens during Nav Ratri in North India”.

Adwaitya Das, Head of Goriya Vaishnab Samaj in Nabadweep said: “We are very happy about the Municipality’s decision. We have been making this appeal since 1994 before the local and state administration. Hope people would be kind enough to bear the trouble for few days”.

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