Pork butchers stare at 'peak' season in poll-bound Nagaland
Source: The Sangai Express / Newmai News Network

Dimapur, January 22 2013: As of every election in Nagaland, pork has been the most sought menu in the ensuing polls.

Aspiring candidates know this well and prompted by this fact butchers are busy receiving orders from the candidates and political parties to get pigs in large number.

Butchers dealing pork along the highway stalls could no longer meet the demands of the common people as pigs flow to political camps and meetings.

"I don't know if you will at all see the butchers in the highway stalls with the setting in of February," said a butcher who is a regular face along the national highway (Dimapur-Kohima road) .

At present, pigs are shipped in from neighbouring states especially from Assam.

"We are finding it hard to get large pigs these days as the hunt for the animal has become excessive," said the butcher who does not want to be identified.

At the moment, a kilogram of pork costs Rs 150 in Dimapur.

However, the price are higher in other places of Nagaland.

"The people of Nagaland swoop down to the only commercial hub Dimapur and it is more so before every Christmas or during election time," added the butcher.

Beef becomes the second most popular menu in Naga society.

At present a kilogram of beef costs you Rs 100 in Dimapur.

With the election tempo rising, the prices of pork and beef are likely to rise as the commodities are being sought after by the campers of political parties.

A butcher can fetch anything between Rs 25,000 to 30,000 for a full grown pig.

It is a fashion in Naga society that a public meeting sans pork in the feasting is not a complete feasting.

Since candidates always please the voters, pork can to some extend quench the voters temporarily.

Meanwhile, going by a rough assumption and estimate, around 15,000 ( fifteen thousand) pigs will be slaughtered during this Nagaland assembly election.

This rough estimation is based on the picture that on the average there will be 4 candidates contesting in a single constituency.

Given this figure, there will be at least 240 candidates in the state altogether.

Nagaland has 60 assembly constituencies.

Election related meetings have begun.

In a single meeting atleast one pig is needed.

Going by this trend, by February 23, atleast 15,000 pigs are needed.

Nagaland goes to the polls on February 23 .

Comment