Why not a Cow Ministry!

One may wonder how the cow becomes the paradigm of a nation. Unfortunately, that’s the fact.

We mull over introducing Unified Identification Number for cows; the honorable lawmakers discuss the medicinal qualities of the cow dung and cow urine in the parliament; we have a brigade of cow vigilantes across the country; we are on the road to bring in the laws to ban the sale of cattle for slaughter; the lynching and mob attacks in the name of cows and finally the ruling party is now for setting up of a Cow Ministry.

Amith Sha, the supremo of the ruling Bharatiya Janata Party, recently announced in Uttar Pradesh that the government is seriously thinking of forming a ministry for the cows. Wow! Indeed he has broken the ground, if the announcements turn out to be real. I wonder why people are reluctant to accept a revolutionary thought.

It may sound grotesque or nonsensical to some. Or a political lip off or slip of the tongue to the opponents of the saffron party. But, it’s something that should not be brushed aside as an empty talk. I think India has many lessons to learn from Netherlands in this regard.

Netherlands is the only country in the world where a political organisation works purely for animal rights and welfare. Why don’t we start a political organization exclusively for the cows or for the animals in general? Why don’t we elect one or two representatives to the parliament exclusively for the rights of cows? It’s not a tall tale to be neglected.

In Netherlands, there is a political party for the animals and they have two representatives in the Dutch parliament. They stand for the rights of animals and their welfare. A country where you can see the bio bridges just for animals to cross the roads. We have to wait for a whole night just to pass the Muthanga wild life sanctuary in the national highway 766 between Mysore and Wayanad, as the vehicles may hit the animals that cross the roads. But in Holland, you don’t need to wait for the animals to cross, as they have bio bridges across the roads. Thanks to the political party for the animals.

That tiny nation that has got just the size of Kerala is blessed with large grazing lands and cattle folk. You can see the herds of cows and horses grazing in the green lush fields if you visit the country. But not even a cow or horse will dare to enter the road. Nor do you can find vehicles carrying cattle. You may find pet dogs in the public transports, but not wandering in the roads.

The country has got a ministry and has got rules and regulations for the treatment of animals. Every pet animal must have an owner and he or she is legally responsible for its preservation. But remember, to them, a cow is a cow, not a sacred animal, not even a beloved one like dogs. There is no religious element involved.

Here in our country, the sanctity and rules are interwoven. If you cannot separate them like water tight compartments, then the do’s and don’ts are irrelevant.