Today's post is not about dog. This is about cow. The most debatable animal who is unfortunately being used for politics.
Cow is the most revered animal in India as it is considered a mother by many. There are three primary reasons for that. One her milk is consumed by almost every household in India: Second Lord Krishna grew up rearing and playing with cows. Cow and Tulsi plant are the dearest things to Krishna: Third Lord Shiva's bull (Male cow) Nandi is worshipped along with Shiva. It is believed that a devotee cannot enter the abode (temple) of Shiva without the permission of Nandi.
Apart from that cow dung is used for performing many rituals like puja, hawan and yagna and it is also used as an insect repellant. Cow's urine is believed to have medicinal properties. There is an article (by Sonali and Sarin, 2020) which has been published in a journal which talks about miraculous benefits of cow urine.
http://jddtonline.info/index.php/jddt/article/view/4267
Cow is considered sacred and respected by majority of Indians irrespective of their caste, creed and religion.
Two days back a video went viral where a gentleman (Justice Markandey Katju) was seen speaking against banning of cow meat in India. Although I personally differ from his opinion but what I liked about the video is that there is freedom of speech in India. And any Indian irrespective of his caste, creed and religion is not afraid to voice his or her honest opinion. Well that's how a democratic country should function. Wonder if he or I were in China what would have happened to us????????
But his statement has deeply wounded many Indians especially the caregivers and animal rescuers who don't leave any stone unturned to save a life: be it a dog, cat, monkey or a cow. To listen to his opinion about cow beaf kindly go on the link below:
https://www.facebook.com/groups/612656689078051/permalink/1489060931437618/?sfnsn=wiwspwa
This is what Justice Markanday said
" I am a scientific man and I don't consider cow as a mother. For me cow is as good as any other animal like horse or a dog. The whole world eats beef: America, Europe, Africa, China, Australia, Afghanistan, Pakistan and Thailand. Even in our country in the state of Kerala beef is eaten. I too ate beef there. There is nothing wrong in eating beef. The whole world eats it. Are all those people bad who eat beef and only those who don't eat beef saints? All this is sheer madness. To worship cow is very stupid. People should use their commonsense and stop treating cow as godess. Indians are making a fool of themselves and the world thinks that we are all donkeys."
Don't really know if this video is an old one or it has recently been shot. But it's all over social media and there is a huge uproar amongst the animal lovers and even amongst non animal lovers who practice vegetarianism and consider cow pious and holy.
Justice Markandey is absolutely free to eat what he likes and speak what he likes. This is the beauty of India whose foundation was laid down by our forefathers. But what he seems not to know are the following truths:
Americans love dogs and cats. Of ourse they don't worship them but they adore them. In the year 2018 both the republicans and the democrats together passed the bill to prohibit dog and cat meat in America (The Dog and Cat Meat Trade Prohibition Act of 2018). The bill was also passed with the intention to encourage the end of the dog and cat meat trade which exists in countries like China, South Korea, Vietnam, and India.
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Dog_and_Cat_Meat_Trade_Prohibition_Act_of_2018
It's such a shame that dog and cat meat is eaten in India too and the Americans want us to stop killing them and eating them.
Will we call Americans mad and people lacking common sense for having stopped dog and cat meat in their country and asking others too to stop eating dogs and cats?
During covid pandemic many Americans paid $75 per hour for cuddling a cow. May be cuddling a cow gave them peace and happiness. What shall we call such people? Idiots?
https://www.npr.org/2021/03/13/976631541/opinion-the-comfort-of-cow-cuddles
For several centuries Japanese did not eat beef. They considered it a sin. It was the Buddhist influence which made Japan non eater of animal flesh. The emperor of Japan banned the consumption of beef, horse, dog, chicken and monkey. To read the entire article kindly go on the link below:
https://www.atlasobscura.com/articles/japan-meat-ban
The Japanese emperor and the Buddhist monks who preached and practiced vegetarianism and considered the consumption of beef unholy, are they mad and stupid?
People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) is the largest animal rights organization in the world, with more than 6.5 million members and supporters. They are mostly vegans. Vegans are people who do not eat animals or use any animal product like milk, leather, hair etc
https://www.peta.org/about-peta/
These 6.5 million peta members are people representing all five continents: North America, South America, Europe, Asia, Africa and Australia. And there are millions of people who are not Peta members and who do not do animal rescue, animal feeding or have any animal love but for them vegetarianism is the only way to salvation.
Are all these people fools?
Also many people believe that not killing animals will increase their population which means additional burden on mother earth. Well this is a myth. Rather it is killing of animals which is the root cause of environmental degradation. Kindly go on the link below to read how meat and environment are negatively related:
https://www.peta.org/issues/animals-used-for-food/meat-environment/
India is a country which has preached vegetarianism, non violence, peace and tolerance from time immemorial. Budhha, Mahavira, Guru Nanak, Sai Baba, Mahatma Gandhi...........and the list goes. They never advocated killing of animals for food. One understands the dependency on animals for food if it's a matter of survival but where there is plenty of food grain, fruits and vegetables then what is the need to kill animals?
Just for taste killing an animal is definitely a sin. Every living creature on this earth has a right to live.
There was a time when Hindus too indulged in evil practices. Right from Sati ( where a widow was burnt alive along with the dead body of her husband) to sacrificing an animal (goat and buffalo) to Goddess Kali. Thankfully Hindus have evolved and stopped these beastly practices. Laws were passed which prohibited these practices. Sati is no longer performed and goats and buffaloes have been replaced by coconuts.
No gods, goddesses and no religion preaches violence and killing of innocent souls. We humans do it in the name of rituals. These rituals need to be redefined and changed.
What is wrong if today India passes a law which prohibits beef? Ideally we all should turn vegan but let us atleast make a start by banning beaf in India. And just like Americans united in getting dog and cat meat banned in America let our political leaders unite in banning beaf in India.
The Indian leaders should refrain from playing politics on the cow issue.....but it seems the religion card shall be used: Hindu Vs. Other religions
Cow is Hindu.........this is utter nonsense. Cow is a universal animal. Every indian irrespective of any religion has been drinking cow and buffalo's milk then why cant we all refrain from killing them and eating them? This is a small token of respect and gratitude which we can show to this most tolerant and forgiving animal.
Recently during Id in Lucknow, Uttar Pradesh a chocolate goat was made and sacrificed. This was done by muslims. Are they bad muslims? In my view they are the purest souls and pride of the muslim community.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/612656689078051/permalink/1484918951851816/
Man is inherently a loving soul, who is full of compassion and kindness for one and all.