Mumbai: On the eve of Mahatma Gandhi’s 155th birth anniversary, PETA India has appealed to Maharashtra Chief Minister Eknath Shinde to rename South Mumbai’s historic and infamous 'Mutton Street' as 'Ahimsa Marg' in honour of the Father of the Nation. 

PETA's letter, sent ahead of the October 2 celebration, emphasised that Gandhi’s birth anniversary is globally recognised as the ‘International Day of Non-Violence’. The organisation highlighted how the existing name, rooted in colonial history and associated with the meat trade, stands in direct contradiction to Gandhiji’s principles of non-violence and vegetarianism.

Kiran Ahuja, Manager at PETA India, underscored in the letter that renaming the street as 'Ahimsa Marg' would serve as a fitting tribute to Mahatma Gandhi's legacy. Ahuja added, “It would remind people in Mumbai to respect all living beings and promote plant-based food choices.”

Known as both 'Mutton Street' and the notorious 'Chor Bazaar' (Thieves Market), the area is historically significant, but PETA believes that a new name symbolising peace could help reform the market's reputation. The organisation argued that it could even discourage the sale of allegedly stolen goods and attract more vegan businesses, boosting local tourism in the process.

In support of the name change, PETA India quoted one of Gandhi’s famous statements: “To my mind, the life of a lamb is no less precious than that of a human being.… I hold that the more helpless a creature, the more entitled it is to protection by man from the cruelty of man.”

The letter also touched on the health risks of consuming meat, linking it to zoonotic diseases such as bird flu, swine flu, and the Coronavirus pandemic. PETA India further argued that adopting vegan habits could help combat climate change and prevent future pandemics.

The origins of 'Mutton Street', also known as 'Chor Bazaar', date back two centuries. Once referred to as ‘Shor Bazaar’ (Noisy Market), the area has been a central part of Mumbai’s history, with references in the 1917 edition of “Bombay Place-Name and Street-Names” by Samuel T. Sheppard. According to Sheppard, the street was named after an old mutton and fish market, part of the Nulla Bazaar.

The area is renowned for its Ramadan food market, located near the historic 250-year-old Minara Mosque. Karim Patel, a partner at the family-run Sony Pathani, which has been in business for 55 years, reflected on the area's rich heritage. However, like much of old Mumbai, the market is now undergoing transformation, with old structures being replaced by modern developments. IANS