NEW DELHI: In a significant decision, Tata Group-owned Air India (AI) announced that it will stop providing halal-certified non-vegetarian meals for Hindu and Sikh passengers. However, travelers can still pre-book a “Muslim Meal” (MOML), which will remain halal-certified.
The decision, made on November 10, marks a major change in Air India’s meal service, aimed at accommodating the dietary preferences of its diverse passenger base. This move follows years of campaigns against the mandatory provision of halal meals, which were often criticized as being insensitive to the religious preferences of Hindu and Sikh passengers.
The new policy introduces non-halal non-vegetarian options to cater to the demands of different faith groups. While Air India’s “Hindu Meal” continues to exclude beef and pork, the airline will allow MOML pre-booking to ensure halal meals are available for those who specifically request them.
In a press release, Air India stated, “MOML (Muslim Meal): Pre-booked meals labeled with a ‘MOML’ sticker are considered special meals (SPML). A Halal Certificate will be provided only for the pre-booked MOML meal. All meals on flights to Saudi Arabia will be halal-certified, with a Halal Certificate available for sectors to Jeddah, Dammam, Riyadh, and Medina, including Haj flights.”
NEWS FOR HINDUS,SIKHS@airindia shall no longer be serving halal certified meals to Hindus & Sikhs anymore.
Am truly grateful to God for this. Took me 10 years battling with halal mafia to see this day. @narendramodi ji, hotels, dhabas, restaurants, Vadilal icecream etc… pic.twitter.com/LqLWpFgw8u— Harinder S Sikka (@sikka_harinder) November 11, 2024
This policy change is viewed by many as a step toward offering more culturally respectful meal options on Air India flights. Some passengers have expressed their appreciation for this move.
A passenger named Ravindra wrote on X, “Finally, some action towards resolving the halal issue! Great step by @airindia in respecting the preferences of Hindus and Sikhs by no longer serving halal-certified meals to them. Hope this paves the way for more inclusive food choices across 🇮🇳. Thank you @airindia.”
Another person commented, “I would like this to be standard in all restaurants and meat shops across the country. We non-Muslims must have a default option of jhatka meat.”
What is Halal meat and ‘Halal certification’ for vegetarian products
Halal is a method of slaughter and packaging of meat that is in tune with Islamic sensibilities and religious practices. Halal can only be performed by a Muslim man. Thus, non-Muslims are automatically denied employment at a Halal firm. There are certain other conditions that must be fulfilled that makes it quite clear that it is intrinsically an Islamic practice. Guidelines are available on the official website of a certification authority of Halal in India which makes it clear that non-Muslim employees cannot be employed in any part of the slaughtering process.
The Department of Halal Certification of the European Union says, “The name of Allah must be invoked (mentioned) at the time of slaughtering by saying: Bismillah Allahu Akbar. (In the Name of Allah; Allah is the Greatest.) If at the time of slaughtering the name of anyone else other than Allah is invoked (i.e. animal sacrificed for him/her), then the meat becomes Haram “unlawful.”
The Halal certification department also specifies the exact Islamic method of slaughtering. It says that the slaughtering of the animal must be done in just one stroke without lifting the knife, using a sharp knife. It says that the windpipe (throat), food-tract (oesophagus) and the two jugular veins must be cut in a single stroke. Care must be taken that the head is not severed and the spinal cord is not cut. The rules also say that meat slaughtered by a machine can’t be Halal, it must be slaughtered by a Muslim person.
It is to be noted that the Halal process is not just limited to the slaughter, but also to packaging, shipping etc. Therefore, throughout the chain, if the meat is Halal, only Muslims would be employed and the name of Allah would be invoked to make it in line with Islamic practices.
Halal certification is also granted for vegetarian products and not just meat. Products like flour, wheat etc are also seen with Halal certification. Halal India, the certification authority in this particular instance, states that processed food is considered Halal if it is not contaminated by ingredients that are considered ‘najis’ as per Sharia Law. Furthermore, the equipment used for its production should not be contaminated with ‘najis’ either. ‘Najis’, as per Sharia law, are substances that make a product ritually unclean. Substances such as alcohol, dogs, swine, and milk of animals Muslims are not permitted to drink and other such things are considered ‘Najis’.
What is Jhatka meat?
In the Jhatka method of slaughter, the animal is killed instantaneously without the animal suffering like it does in the Halal process of slaughter. In Jhatka, the head of the animal is immediately severed and therefore, it is not bled to death slowly. Another key difference between Halal and Jhatka is that Jhatka has no religious process that it follows and therefore, can be consumed by everyone regardless of religious affiliations.
Sikhs call the Halal process “kuttha”, which means meat obtained after killing the animal in a slow, painful process.
The Sikh encyclopaedia says:
Historically, there is no positive injunction enforcing jhatka mode of slaughter laid down by the Gurus. However, Guru Gobind Singh, when manifesting the order of the Khalsa in 1699, enjoined Sikhs to abstain from kuttha or Halal meal introduced by the Muslim ruling class. “They eat kuttha of goats killed with the pronouncement of alien words, i.e. kalima, but do not allow anyone to enter their cooking square (to guard against pollution by touch)…”. Instructions regarding jhatka mode of slaughter are contained in various Rahitndmas or codes of conduct for the Sikhs, and the Sikh chronicles written during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.
Rahitnama of Bhai Desa Singh also enjoins the slaughtering to be carried out away from the kitchen. Traditionally, it is also to be away from a holy spot.
Therefore, Halal becomes discriminatory to not just Hindus but Sikhs and other non-Muslim sects as well.
Another Sikh website ‘Sikhwiki’ says, “Jhatka meat prevents antihistamine effects on your body making it a healthy choice and is hygienic as the swiftness/Jhatka lessens the time span of processing meat making it less vulnerable to external and environmental contamination thereby minimizing infection probability which is injurious to health”.
“To enjoy meat, you don’t have to torture! In jhatka, Animal or bird is slaughtered swiftly in a Single stroke directly disconnecting communication between the brain and body, minimising agony and trauma as this is Free Of Ritual Torture (FORT) and does not let the animal release any pain, stress or fear hormones AKA cortisol, dopamine and norepinephrine. Let’s be compassionate and save them from shock, pain and agony”, it adds.
