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Protect Goa's natural beauty Support Goa's first Tiger Reserve Sign the petition at: http://www.goanet.org/petition/petition.php --------------------------------------------------------------------------- October 28, 2011, 3:52 AM Goans Threaten Jet Airways Boycott By NARESH FERNANDES Goa's ever-active Internet discussion groups have been buzzing in recent days with complaints about a new Jet Airways policy banning passengers from carrying meat, fish and poultry products on both domestic and international flights even in their checked-in luggage. The policy was quietly introduced at the end of June, with little explanation. "With immediate effect carriage of fish, crab, sea food, meat and poultry products will be prohibited as check-in baggage," according to a statement from the airline. Passengers from Goa say vacuum-packed sausage and canned tuna fish are among the items confiscated, and are threatening to boycott the airline. "With this policy of Jet Airways, it is surely going to lose a big chunk of Goan business not just from Goans but other passengers too who love taking Goan sausages to enjoy a bite," predicted one Goan news site. It isn't surprising that the restrictions should have elicited so much irritation in Goa, whose residents have a hearty appetite for spicy chorizos, vindaloo and other carnivorous delights. But it may not be long before residents of other states begin to grumble, too. Despite the conventional wisdom that most Indians are vegetarian, the country's Anthropological Survey estimates that approximately 80 percent of the population eats the varieties of food prohibited by the airline. It's a statistic that is quoted approvingly on the Web site of India's Ministry of Food Processing, as a way of emphasizing the vast business potential for the country's meat-processing industry. "There is a huge scope for expanding exports, especially in buffalo and poultry meat, eggs and dairy products," it says. Since 1995, the production of meat and meat products has been growing 4 percent a year, while the poultry industry has been expanding at 9 percent a year. India is the world's fifth-largest egg producer and has one-ninth of its poultry. Even though so many Indians get their nutrition from cheap meat products, vegetarianism is often held up as a virtue, especially by some upper-caste Hindus. In extreme cases, this virtue has been enforced in strong-handed fashion. For instance, when a restaurant serving meat dishes opened in 2006 in Mumbai's neighborhood of Walkeshwar, where many vegetarian Gujaratis and Jains live, customers were reportedly pelted with pebbles and spat on. Pizza chains in the neighborhood were forced to take meat options off their menus. Maybe it's not surprising, then, that some critics say the Jet Airways restriction is yet another attempt by vegetarian fundamentalists to foist their ethical codes on carnivores. Said a posting in one Facebook discussion, "These vegetarian fascists have been at work for a while now!!" Chain e-mail messages, calling for Goans to boycott the airline and to demand that airline officials give them written statements explaining why their meat products are being confiscated, have started circulating. Jet Airways insists the policy isn't an underhanded way of enforcing vegetarianism. A spokeswoman, who didn't want to be identified by name, said that the policy was enacted after some travelers complained that their baggage had been soiled by seepage from adjoining suitcases containing meat products. "It's based on customer feedback," she said. She refused to speculate on the probability of vegetarian pickles causing similar damage. http://india.blogs.nytimes.com/2011/10/28/goans-threaten-jet-airways-boycott/?partner=rss&emc=rss