On most of the festivals, my grandmother would wake up early in the morning to make the first chapatti for the 'Gau Mata'. Cows in Delhi are hard to find but if luck is on your side, one can see them around garbage dumps. While carrying out this ritual, she would often reminisce the days when cows were the first citizens of every household in the town. They were not only nurtured and cared for but also respected. Our generation may find it a bit awkward for we can't think beyond the canines as pets.
The ideal equation of this Gau-Family relationship is crystal clear. Cows are an economic asset: right from food( milk, curd, butter, ghee, cottage cheese) and fuel for kitchen(cow dung) to antiseptic cleaning agent(cow urine). The moralistic aspect that gives cow the holy stature is its peaceful demeanour and giving nature despite its overwhelming size. As per Hinduism, cow is a true embodiment of Dharma because of its tolerance and patience.
Fast forward to this day and time.
Gau Mata has suddenly come into the risk zone: threatened, vulnerable and isolated!
Claimed reason: The "Cattle Smugglers"
No, this isn't referring to the cattle being smuggled across the Indo-Bangladesh border. Alas! These so-called smugglers have long been an integral part of our society economically, socially and politically.
They are the Dalits and Muslims who are either selling beef or consuming it. For those who consume cow-meat, beef is a key component of their diet as it is a relatively cheaper source of protein and carbohydrates. And for those who sell beef, it is a means of earning a living. It is these "smugglers" who help the labour-intensive leather industry to thrive. They are beginners of the value chain which makes India the 5th largest exporter of raw hide and leather.
Enter Gau Rakshaks.
They are the self-styled cow-protectors who consider it their moral duty to eliminate all Dalits and Muslims "disrespecting" the cow in any form. These cow vigilantes go on 'gashts' (patrols) and set up joint 'nakas' (checkpoints) to catch the "smugglers" red-handed. The inhuman treatment of these "smugglers" after being caught is known to all of us. This violence not only dehumanizes a profession which provides livelihood to a section of our society but also infringes on their right to a dignified life. No cause can justify such repeated acts of brutality. The Gau Raksha Dal (GRD) activists rationalize their activities saying that the police can never access the wide resources and networks they have. They take pride in the implicit support they receive from the news channels, local politicians and many in the highest rungs of power.
As a spectator, one would wonder that if they have such a high degree of religious zeal, they must be living and abiding by the symbolic qualities of the sacred cow. But this is where the black hole lies. Before the brutal assaults on the dalits and muslims, someone must ask them where they got the cows from. A reputed magazine reports that some Hindu farmers seize cows to a Gaushala and later sell them off to slaughterhouses. One would now find it extremely hard to differentiate between the rakshaks and bhakshaks!
There is an urgent need to call upon new torch bearers for Gau-raksha! Real 'Raksha' lies in spreading awareness about many other factors that ail the community of cows.
Firstly, automated milching and artificial methods of enhancing milching lowers life expectancy of cows. Cattle are injected with Oxytocin to increase milk production for commercial purposes. The repeated injections cause excruciating pain to cows which is then treated using a drug Diclofenac. This is but a short term solution because these unnatural means make cows infertile after 2-3 years. They are then sold off as beef. What is unknown to many is that Diclofenac remains undecomposed thereby adversely affecting humans. Hence, the harm we are causing to the cows is pointing back at us.
Secondly, cows in most cities are forced to feed on garbage. Since they can't segregate the biodegradable waste, they end up eating harmful plastics. This further leads to untimely death of the bovine being.
Amidst the political imbroglio, we are losing sight of the real danger. The sacred cow is vulnerable and threatened but not for the reasons the "Gau-rakshaks" are advocating. Till the time law cracks down on these fringe elements, "Moo" shall remain the Moot point.
Fast forward to this day and time.
Gau Mata has suddenly come into the risk zone: threatened, vulnerable and isolated!
Claimed reason: The "Cattle Smugglers"
No, this isn't referring to the cattle being smuggled across the Indo-Bangladesh border. Alas! These so-called smugglers have long been an integral part of our society economically, socially and politically.
They are the Dalits and Muslims who are either selling beef or consuming it. For those who consume cow-meat, beef is a key component of their diet as it is a relatively cheaper source of protein and carbohydrates. And for those who sell beef, it is a means of earning a living. It is these "smugglers" who help the labour-intensive leather industry to thrive. They are beginners of the value chain which makes India the 5th largest exporter of raw hide and leather.
Enter Gau Rakshaks.
They are the self-styled cow-protectors who consider it their moral duty to eliminate all Dalits and Muslims "disrespecting" the cow in any form. These cow vigilantes go on 'gashts' (patrols) and set up joint 'nakas' (checkpoints) to catch the "smugglers" red-handed. The inhuman treatment of these "smugglers" after being caught is known to all of us. This violence not only dehumanizes a profession which provides livelihood to a section of our society but also infringes on their right to a dignified life. No cause can justify such repeated acts of brutality. The Gau Raksha Dal (GRD) activists rationalize their activities saying that the police can never access the wide resources and networks they have. They take pride in the implicit support they receive from the news channels, local politicians and many in the highest rungs of power.
As a spectator, one would wonder that if they have such a high degree of religious zeal, they must be living and abiding by the symbolic qualities of the sacred cow. But this is where the black hole lies. Before the brutal assaults on the dalits and muslims, someone must ask them where they got the cows from. A reputed magazine reports that some Hindu farmers seize cows to a Gaushala and later sell them off to slaughterhouses. One would now find it extremely hard to differentiate between the rakshaks and bhakshaks!
There is an urgent need to call upon new torch bearers for Gau-raksha! Real 'Raksha' lies in spreading awareness about many other factors that ail the community of cows.
Firstly, automated milching and artificial methods of enhancing milching lowers life expectancy of cows. Cattle are injected with Oxytocin to increase milk production for commercial purposes. The repeated injections cause excruciating pain to cows which is then treated using a drug Diclofenac. This is but a short term solution because these unnatural means make cows infertile after 2-3 years. They are then sold off as beef. What is unknown to many is that Diclofenac remains undecomposed thereby adversely affecting humans. Hence, the harm we are causing to the cows is pointing back at us.
Secondly, cows in most cities are forced to feed on garbage. Since they can't segregate the biodegradable waste, they end up eating harmful plastics. This further leads to untimely death of the bovine being.
Amidst the political imbroglio, we are losing sight of the real danger. The sacred cow is vulnerable and threatened but not for the reasons the "Gau-rakshaks" are advocating. Till the time law cracks down on these fringe elements, "Moo" shall remain the Moot point.
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