Archive · 27 Jan 2026
Odisha Bans Meat Sales on Republic Day
In Odisha, India, the government in Koraput district told people not to sell or eat meat, chicken, fish, eggs, or any non-vegetarian food on Republic Day.
This is a big holiday in India that celebrates the country's constitution and freedom.
The order was given on January 23, 2024.
Many people in Koraput are from tribal and lower-caste communities, who often eat these foods.
The writer of the article says this ban is unfair and goes against the ideas of freedom and equality that Republic Day stands for.
They argue that the government should not tell people what they can or cannot eat, especially on a day that is supposed to be about celebrating everyone's rights.
The District Administration of Koraput, Odisha, banned the sale of non-vegetarian food on Republic Day.
The order was issued on January 23, 2024, and directed all revenue and development officers to enforce the ban.
Over 50% of Koraput's population belongs to Scheduled Tribes, and around 15% are Scheduled Castes, who often consume non-vegetarian food.
The ban is seen as an assault on the public's constitutional right to food and choice, and as an enforcement of religious and cultural ideas.
The writer argues that such orders are more aligned with vigilantism than with the spirit of the Constitution, which emphasizes justice, liberty, equality, and fraternity.
- Who
- District Administration of Koraput, Odisha
- What
- Banned the sale of meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and non-vegetarian food on Republic Day
- When
- Order issued on January 23, 2024
- Where
- Koraput, Odisha, India
- Why
- To enforce notions of purity and pollution, despite Republic Day being a secular event
- Location
- Koraput, Odisha, India
- Date of Order
- January 23, 2024
- Population Demographics
- Over 50% Scheduled Tribes, around 15% Scheduled Castes (2011 census)
- Banned Items
- Meat, chicken, fish, eggs, and non-vegetarian food
- Author
- Rama Naga, Assistant Professor, GITAM University