Itanagar: Itanagar Capital Region (ICR) deputy commissioner Talo Potom on Saturday said that the infamous order issued by Naharlagun extra assistant commissioner (EAC) directing the hotels and restaurants to remove all signboards with the word ‘Beef’ on them “would be withdrawn”.
“The order was issued by the EAC in a good intention and as a preventive measure and not to give it a communal colour. The order will be withdrawn,” the DC said, while appealing to the people to not let the matter blow out of proportion.
Potom said this while addressing a meeting with the Naharlagun Bazar Welfare Committee, Arunachal Pradesh Chamber of Commerce and Industries and administrative officers of ICR in connection with the order.
The DC also sought the cooperation of the media in minimizing the trolling on social media that has followed after the order was released on July 13.
Potom further said the sale of meats/fish and vegetables along the right of way (Row) would not be allowed from now.
“Though there is no restriction on eating any kind of meat, its open display along the highway portrays an ugly picture of the Capital. The shops selling meat/fish can display their signboard at a proper distance from the highway,” he said.
Earlier, Naharlagun EAC Tamo Dada clarified that the order was issued by his office as a “preventive measure so that the people do not make a religious issue out of it in the future and there was no ban on consuming beef.”
Dada said that a group of people had approached him with a request to look into the matter of displaying the word ‘beef’ outside hotels and restaurants that such signboards may hurt the religious sentiments of some sections of the community.
“The order was in no way meant to ban consuming or selling beef but to just remove the word ‘beef’ and use an alternative to it,” he said.
Naharlagun Bazaar Welfare Society chairman Kipa Nai said a majority of Arunachalees have been consuming beef since time immemorial and both beef eaters and non-eaters have been residing peacefully.
The representatives from APCCI said that Arunachal is a Mini India where all communities reside peacefully and such categorization provides easy identification for beef eaters.
Both the organizations requested the order to be withdrawn while suggesting that the size of the hoardings outside hotels may be minimized if needed.
Following heavy backlash from the public, the EAC in a new notification issued on Friday had kept his July 13 order in “abeyance” until further notice.
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