Jhatka, or Chatka (jhàṭkā [tʃə̀ʈkɑ]), is meat from an animal that has been intended to be killed instantaneously, such as by a single strike of a sword or axe to sever the head, as opposed to "ritualistic" slaughter (kutha) in the kosher method (shechita) and halal method (dhabihah).
Contents
- Etymology
- Hindus and jhatka
- Sikhs and jhatka
- Comparison of Jhatka Shechita and Halal methods
- Availability of jhatka meat
- References
Jhatka is the method of meat production demanded by many Hindus, Sikhs, and denominational Christians, while Zabiha is demanded by the Muslims, and Shechita by the Jews. However, in Christianity it is a subject of debate, as Paul and Barnabas decreed that the non-Jewish believers are forbidden to eat meat with blood and animals killed through strangulation in the New Testament. Hence, in Christian faith the halal/shechita way of slaughter is lawful. The Sikh Rahit Maryada forbids hair-cutting, adultery, the use of intoxicants, and the eating of kutha meat.
Etymology
Jhatka (Hindi: झटका jhaṭkā IPA: [dʒʰəʈkɑ]; Punjabi: ਝਟਕਾ (Gurmukhi), جھٹکا (Shahmukhi)) is derived from Sanskrit word Jhatiti (झटिति) which means "instantly, quickly, at once".
Hindus and jhatka
Historically and currently, those Hindus who eat meat seek jhatka meat.
In the diversity of Hinduism, many Hindus are vegetarians or vegans from their belief in Ahimsa (non-injury, non-violence), and to minimize suffering to all life forms, but there is no binding religious dietary law in Hinduism, and the choice is left to the Hindu. Many Shaivite and Shakta Hindus, for example, offer meat and liquor as part of certain ritual worship, and then consume the meat. During Durga Puja and Kali Puja among some Shaivite Hindus in Punjab, Mithila, Bengal, and Kashmir, Jhatka meat is the norm for those Shaivite Hindus who eat meat.
Sikhs and jhatka
Jhatka meat is mandated for Sikhs for religious reasons,
According to the ancient Aryan Hindu tradition, only such meat as is obtained from an animal which is killed with one stroke of the weapon causing instantaneous death is fit for human consumption. However, with the coming of Islam into India and the Muslim political hegemony, it became a state policy not to permit slaughter of animals for food, in any other manner, except as laid down in the Quran - the halal meat prepared by severing the main blood artery of the throat of the animal while reciting verses from the Quran. It is done to make slaughter a sacrifice to God and to expiate the sins of the slaughter. Guru Gobind Singh took a rather serious view of this aspect of the whole matter. He, therefore, while permitting flesh to be taken as food repudiated the whole theory of this expiatory sacrifice and the right of ruling Muslims to impose it on the non-Muslims. Accordingly, he made jhatka meat obligatory for those Sikhs who may be interested in taking meat as a part of their food.
As stated in the official Khalsa Code of Conduct, Kutha meat is forbidden, and Sikhs are recommended to eat the jhatka form of meat.
For Sikhs, jhatka karna or jhatkaund refers to the instantaneous severing of the head of an animal with a single stroke of any weapon, with the underlying intention of killing the animal whilst causing it minimal suffering.
During the British Raj, jhatka meat was not allowed in jails, and Sikh detainees during the Akali movement and beyond had to resort to violence and agitations to secure this right. Among the terms in the settlement between the Akalis and the Muslim Unionist government in Punjab in 1942 was that jhatka meat be continued as a Sikh Martial Heritage.
On religious Sikh festivals, including Hola Mohalla and Vaisakhi, at the Hazur Sahib Nanded, Fatehgarh Sahib, and many other Sikh Gurdwaras, jhatka meat is offered as "mahaprasad" to all visitors in a Gurdwara. This is regarded as food blessed by the Guru and should not be refused.
Some Sikh Organizations, such as the Damdami Taksal and Akhand Kirtani Jatha, have their own codes of conduct. These organizations define kutha meat as any type of slaughtered meat, and eating meat of any type is forbidden.
Comparison of Jhatka, Shechita, and Halal methods
All three methods use sharp knives. In the Shechita and Halal method, the animal is slaughtered by one swift, uninterrupted cut severing the trachea, esophagus, carotid arteries, jugular veins, and vagus nerves, followed by a period where the blood of the animal is drained out. In the Jhatka method, a swift uninterrupted cut severs the head and the spine. A prayer to God is forbidden in Jhatka method as to prevent the sanctification of meat, during commercial or private animal slaughter, but a prayer to God (Allah/Ad-nai) is required only at the start or if there is any interruption during Shchita meat production, but before every slaughter in Halal meat production.
Availability of jhatka meat
In India, there are many jhatka shops, with various bylaws requiring shops to display clearly that they sell jhatka meat.
In the past, there has been little availability of jhatka meat in the United Kingdom, so people have found themselves eating other types of meat, although jhatka has become more widely available in the United Kingdom.