Kashmir is finally waking up to the reality of what it has been fed.

The revelation that tonnes of rotten meat have found their way to local markets has struck a nerve in a place where meat is not just food but a cultural staple.

People are linking the sudden rise in stomach ailments, unexplained fevers, and other health issues to a scandalous supply chain that has been operating in plain sight.

The anger is raw, the mood restless. Beyond bad meat, this is about a deeply rotten system that allowed it to happen — one that is supposed to guard public health but instead moved only when the stench became too strong to ignore.

The scandal has become a symbol of a wider decay in governance, a reminder of how reactive enforcement has replaced preventive protection.

In mosques across the valley, the Friday sermon took on a sharper tone. Imams called the sale of rotten meat a sin against both God and community, urging worshippers to demand justice and reject complacency.

On social media, hashtags turned into a rallying cry, flooded with photos of questionable meat, videos from frozen food shops, and sharp-edged posts asking why this trade was allowed to run unchecked.

Government officials, facing growing pressure, promised swift action and uncompromising penalties, though few were convinced that this time........

© Kashmir Observer