Media In India/elsewhere

[Guest]

Not sure whether all posts related to cow-slaughter need to be moved to some other thread but since i posted the initial one here, i will post the follow up here too..

http://o3.indiatimes.com/politicking/archi.../26/307869.aspx

<!--QuoteBegin-->QUOTE<!--QuoteEBegin-->Stop the Slaughter
The Supreme Court verdict, given on October 26, 2005, upholding the constitutional validity of the Gujarat government order, which banned the slaughter of cows, should be welcomed not only by those who consider cow a sacred animal but also by all animal lovers.  Setting aside the Gujarat High Court judgement, which held that the Gujarat government order imposed restrictions on the fundamental rights of a section of people involved in beef trade, the seven-judge bench upheld the validity of the State government order.  (Before you jump to conclusions, the order was passed by a Congress government in 1994 and not the Modi government.)   

While the judgement per se is not only about banning cow slaughter, but also about the constitutional validity of an order passed by a state government, the news that the cows can feel safe at least in one Indian state should come as a welcome development to those who revere the animal.

While people who consume and trade in beef may argue that the said order impinges on their fundamental right that guarantees equality and freedom to practice any profession (Articles 14 & 19f), they should not forget that the same constitution lists out a fundamental duty (Article 51A) that expects every Indian “to promote harmony and the spirit of common brotherhood amongst all the people of India transcending religious, linguistic and regional or sectional diversities.”

To say that the cow is sacred to the Hindus is to state the obvious.  The cow is the symbol of the Earth, of grace, dignity, strength, endurance, maternity and abundance.  Cow is depicted in Hindu religion as Kamadhenu, the divine wish-fulfilling cow.  It is believed that veneration of cow instils in Hindus the virtues of gentleness, receptivity and oneness with nature.

In the Hindu tradition, the cow is honoured, garlanded and given special feedings during festivals all over India.  During annual Gopashtama festivals and harvest festivals such as Pongal, the cows are bedecked in fine clothes and jewellery, and their horns are painted in various colours.  There are many Gaushalas run by temples and charitable trusts all over India that take care of old and infirm cows.  The urine and dung of the cow are considered a purifier by the devout.  In short, what the innocent lamb was to Jesus Christ, the Good Shepherd, the benign cow was to Lord Krishna, the Cow-herd of Gokul.

Reverence for cow is not a new fad started by some religious extremists.  Kautilya’s Arthashashtra terms the killing of cattle a crime worthy of death.  Mahatma Gandhi was of the opinion that “Cow-protection is an article of faith in Hinduism.  Apart from its religious sanctity, it is an ennobling creed.”  He further says, “If someone were to ask me what the most important outward manifestation of Hinduism was, I would suggest that it was the idea of cow-protection.”  He even adds, “No one who does not believe in cow-protection can possibly be a Hindu” (Source: Hindu Dharma by Mahatma Gandhi).

Critics may say that there are references to cow-sacrifice and beef-eating customs in one or two verses of the Vedas.  But, there are a lot more verses in the same Vedas which denounce cow-sacrifice and beef-eating practices.  (Forget about the Vedas, which nobody anyway takes seriously.)  Also, there is enough evidence in history to support the fact that this practice never got support from the majority, and Hindus who ate/eat beef were/are frowned upon.

While I do not want to sound like a goddamn right wing loony or a fundamentalist, I would love to see the venerable and loveable cow protected by common consent or by whatever law it takes
<!--QuoteEnd--><!--QuoteEEnd-->