Under fire for selling discriminatory ‘halal only’ meat, online grocery store Big Basket makes jhatka meat available for sale

Days after Big Basket stoked controversy by admitting that it sells ‘halal only’ meat to its customers, the online grocery store has now made jhatka meat products available for purchase.

Last week, social media users had flagged the non-inclusive approach of the online grocery store – Big Basket, which had admitted that it sold only Halal products.

We would like to inform you that the meat we sell is HALAL cut.

— bigbasket (@bigbasket_com) May 3, 2020

Big Basket’s response led to social media users pointing out the discriminatory nature of halal only products and depriving the customers whose religious beliefs forbid them from consuming halal products.

Thanks for the info. Will never order from you and will inform in my circles dat you do religious discrimination and make sure dat dey buy from Jhatka cut sources.

— Ailerons & rudders (@AileronsRudders) May 11, 2020

If you are a Hindu/Sikh and you order meat from @bigbasket_com
you should know that they are forcing you to eat #Halal and you don’t get to have a choice. #BoycottHalalProducts
Quote Tweet

— Being_political (@BeingPolitical1) May 11, 2020

Several netizens had taken to Twitter to expose the non-inclusive approach of the online grocery store, who was in fact pushing its customers to forcefully consume Halal products.

Only Halal?!
@bigbasket_com , do you cater only to Muslims? If not, why are you enforcing Halal meat on Non – Muslims? Or, has India turned into a State governed by Shariah Law?

— MaxfaxSurgeon (@SurgeonMaxfax) May 11, 2020

If you are a Hindu/Sikh and you order meat from @bigbasket_com you should know that they are forcing you to eat #Halal and you don’t get to have a choice. #BoycottHalalProducts https://t.co/WqpEDwLePv

— Shefali Vaidya. (@ShefVaidya) May 11, 2020

It is pertinent to note that nowadays many food products are label as ‘Halal’ certified, which means not only that the products are manufactured according to Islamic practices, but many times it also means that only Muslims are employed in the entire production and packaging chain of such Halal certified products.

For example, the guidelines for preparing Halal certified meat make it abundantly clear that only Muslim employees are allowed to participate in the entire process at every stage from slaughtering to packaging, and if any non-Muslim is involved in the process, the product becomes Haram, or not allowed as per Islam.

Moreover, ‘halal only’ meat is also discriminatory for those people whose religion forbids them from consuming halal meat. Example, Sikhism forbids consumption of halal meat. Only jhatka meat is allowed. Official Khalsa code of conduct categorically forbids consumption of halal meat.

Big Basket includes ‘Jhatka’ meat

Following a severe protest by social media users and customers, the online grocery store – Big Basket has now decided to include ‘Jhatka’ meat in its menu.

Perhaps, the united efforts of the people following indigenous faith acted as pressure on these big companies, who otherwise force their customers to accept non-standard goods such as ‘Halal’ products.