Kutha meat


Kutha meat or kuttha meat is the meat of an animal or bird slaughtered slowly. Abstaining from Kutha meat is one of the requirements for a Sikh to be an initiated Khalsa or sahajdhari according to the Rehat Maryada.
Both the Hindu and the Sikh communities view slow methods of killing animals negatively and forbid adherents from consuming such meat. The objection to kutha meat is based on the belief that the slow death by bleeding of an animal is an inhumane method of slaughter.

Description

Kutha meat is any meat produced by slow bleeding or religious sacrifice of animals. For a Khalsa, eating Kutha meat is considered sinful. These four sins are part of the Sikh Code of Conduct. These four transgressions must be avoided:
  1. Dishonouring the hair
  2. Eating the meat of an animal slaughtered the Muslim way or the Jewish Kosher way
  3. Cohabiting with a person other than one's spouse
  4. Using tobacco

    Jhatka meat

According to Singha, Kutha meat is forbidden in Sikhism as one of the kurahits, although there is no clarity on encouraging or discouraging meat consumption in general. The rejection of Kutha meat was initiated by Sikh Gurus:
While jhatka meat is acceptable in Sikhism, not all sources of meat are generally acceptable. Sikhs normally avoid eating beef out of consideration for the feelings of Hindus and also due to the fact that the cow, the buffalo and the ox are an integral part of rural Sikh livelihoods. Similarly, they avoid eating pork when they are in the company of Muslims. However, there is no religious prohibition about eating beef and pork.