ITANAGAR, 16 Jul: Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) Deputy Commissioner Talo Potom convened a meeting with members of the Naharlagun Bazaar Welfare Committee (NBWC) and the Arunachal Chamber of Commerce & Industries (ACCI) on Saturday, in connection with the recent order issued by the Naharlagun EAC, directing eateries to remove the word ‘beef’ from their signboards.
During the meeting, Naharlagun EAC Tamo Dada claimed that a group of people had approached him “with a request to look into the matter of display of word ‘beef’ outside hotels and restaurants, which may hurt the sentiments of some section of community.”
He said that he issued the order as “a preventive measure, considering their sentiments,” and added that “the order was in no way meant to ban beef eating or selling but to just remove the word ‘beef’ and by using other alternative to specify availability of beef in the particular hotels.”
NBWC chairman Kipa Nai said that “trading licenses are being provided by the Itanagar Municipal Corporation and the names are already proposed while applying for it.”
He said that the majority of Arunachalis have been eating beef since time immemorial “and both beef eaters and non-eaters have been peacefully residing,” and requested that the order be withdrawn.
The ACCI representatives said that Arunachal is a “mini-India where all communities reside peacefully and such categorisation provides easy identification for beef eaters.” They also requested that the order be withdrawn, but suggested that “the size of the hoardings outside hotels may be minimised, if needed.”
The DC on his part said that “the order was issued by the EAC as a preventive measure with good intention and not to bring communal colours to it.”
He informed that the order will be withdrawn, and requested the people to “not let the matter blow out of proportion.”
Potom also sought the media’s cooperation in “minimising trolling.”
He, however, said that sale of meat, fish and vegetables along the RoW will not be allowed.
“There is no restriction on eating any kind of meat, but open display of meat along the highway portrays an ugly picture of the capital,” he said, adding that “meat shops can display their signboards at a proper distance from the highway.”
All the administrative officers of the ICR attended the meeting. (DIPRO)
