The Trinamul Congress-led Nabadwip municipality has urged residents to adopt a vegetarian diet during the Dol Purnima festival, which coincides with Holi, to prevent the “gory scene of bloodshed in public” caused by open slaughter and the sale of meat and fish.

The civic body has appealed to the people not to buy and eat fish or meat during the festival so that public slaughter does not create discomfort for devotees.

On Monday, the municipality organised a civic convention attended by heads of Vaishnavite mutts, traders, transporters, and residents. A resolution was adopted, emphasising that visuals of slaughter could be unsettling for thousands of Vaishnavite devotees, who follow a strict vegetarian diet, visiting the town for Dol Yatra to mark the birth anniversary of Lord Chaitanya.

The town of Nabadwip, known as Lord Chaitanya’s birthplace, has around 200 Vaishnav temples and mutts.

Municipality chairman and Trinamool leader Biman Krishna Saha urged residents to consume vegetarian food throughout the three-day festival beginning March 13.

As Bengal is largely liberal when it comes to food habits, many people were surprised when they heard about the appeal issued in the presence of municipal authorities to abhor non-vegetarian food for three days during “Dol Yatra”.

“This is unheard of in Bengal. While there has been criticism of some authorities in north India for imposing food habits in keeping with majoritarian eating habits during festivals like Navratri, Bengal remained unaffected. Even though there is no official order for citizens to adhere to in Nabadwip, such imposition in whatever form should not happen,” said Nandita Kar, a resident of Nabadwip.

What Saha said at the meeting might allay Kar’s fear of imposition if she decided to ignore the appeal.

“This is not a rule imposed by us, but a simple appeal to people to go vegetarian for just three days out of respect for our guests, who do not consume non-vegetarian food. The slaughter and sale of meat and fish hurt their sentiments,” Saha said at the meeting.

However, this is not the first such appeal by Nabadwip’s civic authorities. At least once in the past, a similar appeal had been made on the occasion of Dol.

To ensure the message reaches all residents, the municipality on Monday asked its 24 councillors to visit households in their respective areas and personally request people to follow the vegetarian appeal.

Heads of Vaishnava mutts, Hindu priests, and a section of residents have welcomed the appeal.

Apart from the possible curtailment of one’s liberty to eat according to their choice, the appeal raised concerns about the impact on meat and fish sellers, who fear they will be forced to close their shops, effectively creating a shutdown-like situation.

Several shop owners expressed frustration, saying the appeal would result in loss of income for three days.

“Respecting the appeal, I will be compelled to keep my shop closed. There will be many like me who will do the same thing to avoid any possible trouble. But it will cost us three days of earnings. It would have been better if the municipality compensated us for this arrangement,” said a meat seller.

Defending the move, municipality chairman Saha said: “We have not issued any fatwa; it is simply an appeal based on mutual understanding. Our town is deeply rooted in Vaishnavite culture, which promotes love for all creatures. The sight of bloodshed at meat and fish shops has a visual impact on thousands of tourists, devotees, and pilgrims visiting during Holi and other festivals. Many of them are not accustomed to witnessing animal slaughter. So, we are requesting people to try vegetarian food for just three days in honour of the town’s traditions.”

Trinamool insiders claim that several Vaishnavite organisations in Nabadwip have long demanded a ban on open slaughter during festivals as it causes disruptions during “Nagar kirtan (musical procession)”.

Samir Pal, a resident, supported the initiative. “The appeal is logical. There are many festivals when people refrain from eating meat and fish. This is common during Navratri in north India as well,” said Pal.

Adwaitya Das, president of the Goriya Vaishnava Samaj and head of a mutt in Nabadwip, welcomed the municipality’s decision. “We have been making this appeal to local and state authorities since 1994. We hope people will be kind enough to bear this for a few days,” he said.