Hyderabad: With the police and animal rights activists keeping a tight vigil on transport and slaughter of camel in the city, the sale of camel meat is a part of Hyderabad history now.
Traditionally, camel meat was sold at beef shops in the city in the month of Ramzan. The practice continued for decades in the Muslim-dominated Old City of Hyderabad. The camel meat was sold at Dabeerpura, Yakutpura, Barkas, Tallabkatta, Misrigunj, Tolichowki, Golconda, First Lancer, Tappachabutra, and Hakeempet mainly in Ramzan month.
A kilogram of the camel meat was sold for Rs 250 to Rs 300 a kg at the shops. Many people queued up at shops to buy the meat known for its good taste. Restaurants sold camel meat biryani and haleem during Ramzan.
The tradition ceased after the animal rights activists approached the Telangana High Court in 2020. The court then asked the butchers not to transport, slaughter or sell camel meat in the city.
The animal groups, since the court issued directive prohibiting the slaughter of camels, are proactively tracking the movement of the camels in the city. The camels are brought on foot from Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh after the police clampdown on transportation of camels.
In 2023, the Hyderabad police caught three persons on charges of illegal possession of camels for the purpose of slaughtering them at Hakimpet Kunta. The police managed to rescue four camels and in the process also seized butcher knives and other related material.
A butcher in Dabeerpura told Siasat.com due to the fear and cases they are not slaughtering and selling camel meat. “It is unnecessary trouble. The legal expenses will be several times more than the profit we can make through camel meat sale. So we are avoiding it.”
In February 2024, animal rights activists in Maharashtra complained to Wardha police that a large number of camels were being smuggled by road from Kutch and Rajasthan areas to Hyderabad. The alleged that smuggled camels were forced to walk on the highways, covering a massive distance of over 1500 kilometres to reach Andhra Pradesh, where most of these animals were slaughtered.
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