No guidelines mandating only halal-certified meat on trains: Railways tells NHRC

There are no provisions mandating only halal-certified meat in non-vegetarian meals on trains, the Railway Board has told the National Human Rights Commission, according to PTI.

The human rights body had sought the Railways' response to a complaint alleging that only halal-certified meat was being used in meals served on trains.

The complaint had also alleged that Hindu and Sikh passengers also do not get food options that match their religious beliefs, which violated their rights to equality, non-discrimination, freedom of profession, right to life with dignity and religious freedom under the Constitution.

Halal is an Arabic term that means “lawful”. In the dietary context, where it is most commonly used, it refers to food that is permissible according to Islamic regulations.

A bench led by NHRC member Priyank Kanoongo had claimed that only using halal meat prima facie amounted to a violation of human rights, adding that this also affected the livelihoods of scheduled Caste Hindu communities and other non-Muslims who worked in the meat trade.

The commission took cognisance of the matter under Section 12 of the 1993 Protection of Human Rights Act, which outlines its functions.

The commission said that the Railways must respect the food choices of all religious groups as per the secular spirit of the Constitution. It also sought an Action Taken Report within two weeks.

In its response to the NHRC, the authorities said that the Indian Railways and Indian Railway Catering and Tourism Corporation follow guidelines set by the Food Safety and Standards Authority of India, PTI reported.

The Railway Board added: “There is no official provision for serving halal-certified food on Indian Railways.”

The Railways also referred to an earlier query over the same issue and shared its reply at that time, ANI reported.

“The issue of service of halal meat over Indian Railways has been raised through social media posts in the past, seeking information,” ANI quoted the Ministry of Railways as saying. “This was replied explicitly that IRCTC serves non-vegetarian food [chicken] conforming to standards laid down in Food Safety and Standards Act 2006 and additions and alterations thereto from time to time.”

Source: Scroll
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