PANAJI
Members of the Hindu Janjagruti Samiti (HJS) one of the co-organisers of the Hindu Rashtra Convention currently underway at the Ramnathi temple campus in Ponda, has said it will pursue the cause of an anti-conversion law both in States and nationally.
Addressing a press conference in the capital on Friday, leaders of the HJS also listed some other issues from the rhetorical Hindutva discourse including seeking a ban on the 'halal certification'
Halal certification is an internationally recognized certificate mandatory to get trade permission in 117 countries across the world. It is meant for restaurants, pharma and cosmetic companies, catering services, hospitals & tourism companies.
Ramesh Shinde said, he was surprised that a restaurant in a popular locale of Panaji was advertising its 'halal certification'.
"It has to be done away with," Shinde said, adding that Hindu organisations will work at the local level across all States to eliminate the concept of halal certification.
Goa. a tourist State, has a significantly large poultry and meat trade, which in the past has been adversely impacted by campaigns launched by right-wing Hindu organisations.
A few years ago, beef trade had come to standstill for several weeks after Hindu vigilante groups in neighbouring Karnataka had made allegations of widespread cow slaughter to feed the beef markets. Goa sources most of its beef supplies from Belgaum and other centres in Karnataka.
Meanwhile, some beef traders in Goa are of the view that the present campaign against 'halal certification' is unlikely to affect the retail cold storage and beef trade in Goa.
"Halal certification is usually done for branded and packaged products. The meat trade in Goa is usually retail and not branded," one trader who did not want to be identified said.
