Talks of Gau Rakshana merely to attract voters?

Neeta Shetty, Mar 4, 2021, 6:00 PM IST

Mangaluru: Revered by the Hindus, cows has become a key tool in today’s politics, to an extent that it even figures in the poll manifesto of parties. The recently enacted anti-cow slaughter act is testimony to the fact that the parties delivered on their manifesto. But the important question that arises is how committed the government is towards protecting the ‘voiceless’ bovines who ironically can’t even cast a vote in favour of any party.

In BJP-ruled Dakshina Kannada district, on Thursday a Goshala that has been termed as illegal by the administration was demolished when the over 300 cow inhabitants in the particular shelter had gone out for grazing.

The clueless cows had no idea that they would return only to find remains of what was previously their shelter. Legal or illegal it was their home where they had taken refuge and the administration failed in providing them an alternate space before rendering them homeless.

The shelter owner Prakash Shetty questioned the Gau Rakshana and Hindutva ideology of the BJP and sought to know, “Where will the innocent animals go, How will I protect them? There is a huge mafia behind this, they want all the Goshalas to come under their control. Also, I highly doubt that the land can be used for Coast guard training purposes as there are high tension wires near the land.”

He further claimed that he did not receive any prior notice before the demolition procedure.

Notably, the shelter was being run without any government aid, and needless to say the amount of money required to feed, tend to the cows might be huge.

Meanwhile, Dakshina Kannada district administration claimed that the land in which shelter existed was earmarked for the Coast Guard Training Academy and thus steps were taken to clear the encroachment.

Animal Care Trust Trustee Suma Nayak reacted with shock to the news of the demolition stating that it was illegal as it was done without giving any notice to the owner. “Ironically the cops have left several cows that are rescued at the shelter. While the government must safeguard Hybrid Kapila cows, they are rendering them homeless in the summer,” she added in mock disgust.

Another animal rescuer who is actively involved in rescue operations, when asked about the demolition rightly said that voters’ sentiments are being exploited in name of cows but does anyone really care enough. The particular incident has got some media attention only because it involves cows had it been for other animal shelters it would have gone unnoticed.

Transporting a single cow is in itself a tedious job, the shelter owner is faced with the task of transporting 300 cows to an alternate space that yet needs to be constructed, he stated.

Individuals might get moved after watching videos of the cows returning to the demolished shelter but would probably shrug it off as it would be beyond their capacity to take on a huge mafia that exists there.