A small village in the western part of Uttar Pradesh sets an example

Located 25 kilometers away from Delhi, the union capital, Muslims living here have come out in open support of the ban in fulfillment of the wishes of the government and Hindu co-villagers and decided not to allow sale of meat brought from illegal slaughter houses.

A few years ago the Muslims living in Rataul , the village, had formed a cow vigilante group and had ensured that cows were not slaughtered in the village or close by areas. Uttar Pradesh is one of over 20 states in the country where slaughtering cows and trading of beef have been banned.

This mango-growing hamlet has had no problems with the Hindus so far and is totally opposed to illegal trade in any commodity. After the ban on illegal slaughter houses bufallow meat was brought from other areas. The Muslim villagers have decided to see to it that this practice is totally eliminated.

Killing of bufallows has not been banned but the abattoirs slaughtering them without valid permits have been ordered to be sealed by the new government.

" We are peace -loving people and believe in peaceful co-existence. Our Hindu brothers and sisters often fulfill our wishes. We are reciprocating", said a villager.

The villagers have also decided to cooperate with the state government and inform the police if there is any illegal activity in the area. The village grows a large number of exportable varieties of mangoes.

The western part of the state is dominated by two groups, Muslims and Jats. Muslim population in the region is close to 26 per cent which is more than the state's average of 19 per cent.