Ten meat shop owners in Varanasi got in trouble with the law for keeping their shops open near the Vishwanath Temple. The city had told 26 meat shops within 2 kilometers of the temple to shut down but these ten didn’t. They were given a three day notice before the rule was enforced.
The shop owners are upset about having to close their shops. They say the city didn’t offer them any other ways to make money. Also the meat sellers point out that liquor shops are open in the same area and they feel unfairly singled out. They feel like they are being treated differently than other businesses.
This situation shows a clash between respect for the religious area near the temple and the need for meat sellers to make a living. The shop owners are complaining about not having other options and feeling like they are being treated unfairly. This has made the problem bigger and shows the city might not have had a good plan in place before the closure.