Gauhati HC stays ban on dog meat by Nagaland govt

Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court's Kohima bench has stayed the decision of the Nagaland government's commercial sale of dog meat. A petition was filed by a licensed dog meat trader saying that ban on dog meat has adversely affected their business. Justice S Hukato Swu heard the petition filed by the dog meat trader on Friday and said that the order "may be stayed until the next returnable date." The state government has not submitted any response regarding the ban.

The ban on dog meat came into effect on July 4 in Nagaland. The main reason behind the ban was cited as the Food Safety & Standards (Food Products Standards and Food Additives)Regulation 201, FSSAI.

The government order, however, came after MP Maneka Gandhi, an animal rights activist issued a statement on "unabated' killing of dogs in the state. She requested people to email the Chief Secretary of Nagaland to ask him to stop 'dog bazaars and restaurants' in Nagaland.

However, after the ban, the people from Nagaland started protesting against the ban of social media, calling it "an imposition to Nagaland'd traditional culture."

The petitioners who filed a petition against the dog meat ban said how the ban has affected them, especially during this pandemic situation.

The next hearing of the case is scheduled after the winter break.

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