It cannot be termed as a scintillating move, for it was an open secret that the Valley markets were flooded with unhygienic, unhealthy, and rotten imported meat. Banning the same after such a long delay is nothing short of justice denied to the consumers. For years, people were made to consume what was unfit even for animals, and those responsible for safeguarding public health preferred to stay blindfolded. The shocking part is not the existence of this menace but the shameful silence that surrounded it.
Every household in Kashmir depends on meat, not just as food but as part of cultural identity and tradition. Yet, what reached the dining tables was often far from genuine or hygienic. The markets were filled with imported consignments of meat, stored for months in unknown conditions, brought in bulk for cheap profit, and sold without any check on quality. The stench of decay was not limited to the meat alone — it extended to the system that allowed such criminal neglect to thrive.
The authorities, who should have acted as sentinels of public health, remained mute spectators. Routine inspections were reduced to mere paperwork, and official claims of “everything being under control” mocked the suffering of the people. Only after widespread outrage and media exposure did the administration suddenly awaken to the crisis — but the move, though welcome, is too little and too late. The question is not about the ban alone but the years of inaction that enabled this rot to become normal.
Those entrusted with regulating and inspecting food markets must be held accountable. Their failure is not a simple oversight; it is a betrayal of public trust. How could such large quantities of substandard meat enter the markets unchecked? Who authorized its sale, and who benefited from this unholy nexus between traders and officials? Unless these questions are answered honestly, mere bans will serve no purpose beyond cosmetic clean-up.
Consumers have suffered silently, trusting the system that failed them repeatedly. The government must now go beyond token gestures. A transparent investigation, strict punishment for violators, and a complete overhaul of food safety mechanisms are the least that citizens deserve. Health cannot be compromised for profit, and public safety cannot wait for headlines to wake up the administration.
Justice delayed in matters of health is not just denial — it is slow poisoning in the garb of governance.
