A steep rise in the prices of animals every passing year is making it difficult for middle-class Muslim families in the city to perform the “Sacred Sacrifice” to attain the blessings of Almighty for them and for their family members. The cherry on the top is the high demand of butchers on Eid day.
First, the prices of animals make their mood off and their high spirits diminish further running whole day street after street finding a butcher to perform the sacrifice. Every Eid-ul-Adha comes with similar tales of families, who were qualified to perform sacrifice but are failing to obey the divine obligation due to exorbitant prices of the cattle.
Earlier it was the lower-middle-class families that often refrain from offering sacrifice owing to their ‘unstable’ financial condition. However, since the last few years, it is being noticed that even the upper-middle-class families, which considered a bit stable economically, are also finding it difficult to perform the sacred rite due to exorbitant rates the traders and shepherds are fixing for their cattle.
Finding it more lucrative trade to make a killing over the night some youngsters, cashing in on the situation, too are selling cattle as a part-time business for time being. They are buying the cattle from shepherds besides rearing farms in the districts on marginal rate and selling them on upwards prices. “This trend has actually stirred a more aggressive competition between the shepherds, traders, and the youngsters doing it with gusto. If the tendency of “opportunistic trade” continues to prevail further on every Bakrid then no wonder if people, even form well off families would be forced to do away performing the sacred rite in the years to come,” rued Syed Shoukat Ali, a civil right activist.
Every year, he said, is witnessing a steep rise in the prices of animals before Bakrid given the importance that “Sacrifice” is one of the obligatory tenants of Islam and Muslims will try their best to perform the rite for the sake of righteousness and to attain eternal prosperity from the Almighty. “Seizing the opportunity the shepherds and the traders are increasing the prices of cattle everywhere in the city and outskirts,” he bemoaned.
“The present trend is depriving the Muslim families of performing the most sacred rite with a spirit of righteousness. The Government might see an opportunity for the shepherds who earn more profit by selling the cattle during this period but turning a blind eye towards the suffering of Muslims who are failing in perform the sacred sacrifice due to exorbitant prices of the animals,” lamented Mir Mushtaq Mirza, who has returned empty-handed after finding the rates of cattle are beyond his reach.
