Srinagar, Aug. 8 -- 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 va...