It seems the judiciary of India has become the voice for the voiceless. This time it is the Allahabad High Court.
Today on 1st September 2021 a single judge bench of Shekhar Kumar Yadav came out with certain observations while hearing a bail plea of a man who was charged for offences under the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act in the state (Uttar Pradesh). The accused was arrested in March this year for allegedly slaughtering a cow. After committing theft of the cow, he killed it, beheaded it and also kept its meat. The judge has rejected his bail and said that “this is not the first offence of the applicant. Earlier also, he had committed cow slaughter which had disturbed the harmony of the society,” . The judge further said that if the applicant was released on bail, he would again commit the same offence which will vitiate the environment of the society.
Given below are some of the other observations made by the court:
1 Cow is an integral part of the Indian culture and considered as mother and worshipped by many. Hence it should be declared as a national animal of India. For this a bill should be introduced in the Parliament.
2 Fundamental right is not only the prerogative of beef eaters. Rather, those who worship the cow and are financially dependent on them also have the right to lead a purposeful life. The right to life is above the right to kill and the right to eat beef can never be considered a fundamental right.”
3 Cow's protection be made a fundamental right of the Hindus because when the country's culture and its faith get hurt, the country becomes weak.
4 Cow's importance has been shown in India's ancient texts like the Vedas, the Puranas, the Ramayana and the Mahabharata that are the identity of Indian culture and for which India is known for.
5 Cow should not be linked with a particular religion. Cow protection is a part of the Indian culture, hence it is not confined to any one religion or sect. Thus saving Indian culture is the duty of every citizen living in the country, irrespective of religion.
6 Strict law should be brought to punish those who talk about harming cows. And laws should come for those also who talk about cow protection by making cowsheds, etc., but have nothing to do with cow protection. Their only aim is to earn money in the name of cow protection.
7 India is the only country in the world where people of different religions live, who may worship differently, but their thinking is the same for the country and they respect each others’ religions. Many muslim rulers in India have considered cow as an important part of India’s culture during their reign. Babur, Humayun and Akbar had banned cow slaughter in their religious festivals. Mysore's ruler Hyder Ali had made cow slaughter a cognizable offence. Three members of the cow protection committee set up by the UP government in 1953 were Muslims and the committee recommended total ban on cow slaughter.
Cow slaughter should definitely be banned. Infact even buffaloe slaughter should also be banned. A country like India whose land is so rich and fertile and where there is plenty of food grains, vegetables and fruits, then where is the need to kill animals and eat them? Just for taste? Isn't this a sin? Inflicting pain on a life just to satisfy taste bud????? Even animals do not kill each other for taste. They kill either to satisfy their hunger or to protect themselves. Homo sapien is the only exceptional animal who kills other animals to treat his tongue.
Coming back to cow. Cow has been regarded pious and holy even by the Japanese. The Japanese emperors had banned cow slaughter for almost 12 centuries. For more information kindly go on the link below:
https://www.google.com/amp/s/www.atlasobscura.com/articles/japan-meat-ban.amp
Unfortunately cows in this Kalyug have become only a source of income for many. Worshipping them has become a mere ritual and nothing else. Recently we saw how many cows have died of hunger and sickness in govt run shelters in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh. Given below are few more links of how govt run (municipal corporation) cow shelters are being run in India.
This is the case of Unnao Cow shelter where a cow was lying dead for more than ten or twelve days.
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355493465008889/permalink/980027469222149/
The reporter has refused to mention the name and place of the cow shelter where the dead and sick cows are lying in mud (Pic in the post).
https://www.facebook.com/groups/355493465008889/permalink/980818402476389/
Shelters are not the right place for healthy animals. India has a very large population of animals who have cohabited with humans for centuries but unfortunately the architects of modern India turned a blind eye to this very huge population. And even today they are overlooking this very important aspect of our culture. It is the faulty urbanization and lop sided development which has made the life of our animals a hell. Be it cow, dog, monkey, cat or a donkey.......
This is a video of a donkey who was cruelly abandoned by his owner. He had tied his legs with rope to die on the streets. Thankfully the donkey was rescued by Animal Aid Unlimited
https://www.facebook.com/103979601137140/videos/889388435290466/
It's time the Indian govt not only bans cow and buffalo slaughter but also amends the sixty year old weak animal law (prevention of cruelty to animals act 1960) and makes it stronger. And it shoukd also include high penalty and punishment for the owners of animals (cows, buffaloes, horses, donkeys etc) for abandoning them and for inflicting any kind of pain to them.
Americans are known for loving dogs. It is there in their culture and they proved it by passing a Dog and Cat meat trade Prohibition Act in 2018. The act was passed unanimously by both the Rupublicans and the Democrats. The US House of Representatives further asked countries like China, South Korea, Vietnam and India to end the slaughter of dogs and cats for human consumption, saying there is no place for such practises in a compassionate society.
Will our national leaders unite in banning cow slaughter in India? Or will they make cow a political and religious issue?