‘OlX’, ‘Quikr’ enter into Bakrid fest as clerics cry foul

OlX par sab bikta hai’. The punch line of a famous online classified marketplace is coming into fore in real terms when host of advertisements ahead of Bakrid festival are featuring goats for sale.

The online advertisements are flashing and being given starting from cities like Ranchi and Jamshedpur to smaller towns like Hazaribagh and Daltonganj. Ashif from Adiytapur has posted a cute picture of his goat weighting 20 kilograms and priced it just Rs 4000.

“I saw advertisements related to goat and other pet animals on the site and decided to take a chance. Often we go to local haat for selling goats ahead of Bakrid but got limited customers belonging to local villages. But with this my goat can get wider market for itself,” says Ashif who is not into the business of animal trade and has received four calls since he posted the ad on such websites.

It is not that only low cost goats are getting their photos posted on the sites but the seamless world has presented equal opportunity for everyone. ‘Pyare’ and his companion have the proud owner Raashid and reside in Jamshedpur. Raashid has posed for over eight pictures with his young and healthy bakras.

“You can come see from yourself why I have priced Pyare and his friend for Rs 1,50,000. We have reared them in home and with lot of care and I am not doing so with the business purpose. I have received calls and people are negotiating with the price tag,” said Raashid who is encouraged with the response he has received on earlier occasions when he had posted advertisements about other household items on another online marketing website ‘Quikr’.

The websites have over hundred such ads selling goats from various parts of the State and primarily for ‘Qurbani’ during Bakrid which is due early in October. Another goat is weighting as much as 90 kg and has a price tag of Rs 51,051while a ‘Unique Bakra for Bakrid’ from Bokaro would cost to his new owner Rs 15,000. Naim Ansari is from Daltonganj and has posted his herd for the sale for Rs 30,000 each.

Nevertheless the newer phenomena have not gone unreported in the society and voices are being raised against the act that is “not in conformity with established religious norms and practices.”

“We have received such news and have conveyed information to all Muslims of the State to not to upload pictures of the animals for ‘qurbani’. The act is like hitting the sentiments of ours. The matter came for discussion during the prayer on Friday last and all have been told to stop this from happening. We have taken cognizance of the activity,” said Qutubuddin Rizwi, a cleric from Ranchi.

Rizwi is of the opinion that sale and purchase of animals through online marketing sites can divide society and also give way to unethical things taking place in the name of religion. “We have not received any written complaint about this which is necessary for issuing a Fatwa,” added the cleric hinting that the act can even invite the ruling and declared against the religion.

The sense must be behind the hesitation of a Kanta Toli-based student who has offered his goat for sale but requested to not to be named in the report. “I was getting disturbed with the goat and my parents told me put it on offer during Bakrid. I think such websites are providing new platforms though it is not considered noble in the society of ours.” Indifferent from all this, Bakras have no complain in posing for clicks. After all, ‘Jitna clickega-Utna Bikega’.