The recent revelations about Indian brands adopting halal certification—even for dairy products—should set off alarm bells. The fact that leading companies like Amul have been dragged into this absurdity is not only distressing but also points to a dangerous trend: the rise of a parallel economy driven by Islamist interests. The crackdown by Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on businesses using fraudulent halal certification has exposed a deeply troubling reality—one that warrants urgent government intervention. The FIR filed in Lucknow against several businesses for misusing halal certification sheds light on the exploitation of consumer faith for financial gain. Companies like Halal India Pvt. Ltd. (Chennai), Jamiat Ulama-i-Hind Halal Trust (New Delhi), and Halal Council of India (Mumbai) have been actively pushing halal branding, effectively imposing a religious-based economic system that disadvantages non-Muslims. Halal, an Arabic term meaning “permissible,” is originally associated with Islamic dietary laws. However, its scope has expanded alarmingly. Today, even vegetarian products like coffee, paneer, nuts, and soya carry halal certification. Even cosmetics, which have no relation to dietary restrictions, are now being branded as halal! This creeping influence is not just about faith; it is about market control and economic dominance. The move to push halal certification onto everyday consumer products is a calculated strategy. Halal certification fees funnel vast amounts of money into Islamic organizations, some of which may have links to fundamentalist groups. It is an economic tool of religious exclusion, forcing even non-Muslims to comply with Islamic dietary laws by default. Shockingly, many major Indian brands, including CavinKare, Daawat rice, Bikano, Goldwinner oil, Vadilal ice cream, Amrutanjan Health Care, and even Baba Ramdev’s Patanjali, have obtained halal certification—ostensibly to cater to export markets in the Gulf, Malaysia, and Singapore.
This issue isn’t just about religious preference—it’s about an alternative economic structure being imposed on India. The question that needs to be asked is this: why should Indian companies have to comply with a religious certification system that does not represent the majority of its consumers? Imagine if companies were required to brand their products with Hindu, Sikh, or Buddhist religious markers—would that be tolerated in the name of economic expediency? Halal certification is not a neutral market strategy; it is a deliberate move to create an economic monopoly that disadvantages non-Muslim producers and businesses. The fact that Hindus, Sikhs, and other religious communities have been largely unaware of halal economics until now has only emboldened its promoters. If unchecked, this system will continue to strengthen the economic power of one community at the cost of national unity and economic sovereignty. The Narendra Modi government must take decisive action. India has its own quality standards, such as the ISI mark, which ensures product reliability without religious bias. The continued endorsement of halal certification by Indian businesses must be scrutinized and, where necessary, blacklisted. No company should be allowed to push halal-branded products in the domestic market, effectively forcing a religiously dictated economic model onto an unsuspecting majority. India is on the path to becoming the world’s third-largest economy. It cannot afford to let parallel economic systems, driven by religious ideology, take root. Banning halal certification for non-meat products and ensuring strict regulation over halal branding will be a crucial step in dismantling this economic apartheid. If India is serious about its vision for the future, it must act now—before it is too late.
