The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has taken serious cognisance of a complaint regarding the serving of only 'halal-certified meat' in the catering services of the Indian Railway. The commission has issued a notice to the Chairman of the Railway Board, directing him to submit a detailed Action Taken Report (ATR) in this matter within two weeks.
A complainant has filed an application with the NHRC, alleging that only meat cut in the halal manner is served in the catering services operating on trains and stations of the Indian Railway and IRCTC. This, the complainant claims, is hurting the religious sentiments and human rights of non-Muslim passengers, particularly Hindus, Sikhs, and those from the Scheduled Castes.
The issue of serving only halal meat in the railways has been a subject of controversy for the past several years. Several petitions and social media campaigns have also been conducted. Although IRCTC has repeatedly clarified that halal certification is not mandatory for them and contractors from various communities are given opportunities, complainants argue that in practice, most suppliers are halal-certified.
Taking the complaint seriously, the commission has considered it within the purview of human rights. Questions related to fundamental rights such as freedom of religion (Article 25), right to equality (Article 14), and freedom of occupation (Article 19(1)(g)) have been raised. On this basis, a response has been sought from the Railway Board.
