| Indian
Cows: Blessed Bovines! |
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Does
it make sense to protect the cow?
As the sheep is
to Christianity, the cow is to Hinduism. Lord Krishna was a cowherd, and the
bull is depicted as the vehicle of Lord Shiva. Today the cow has almost become
a symbol of Hinduism.
Cows,
Cows Everywhere!
India has 30 per cent of the world's cattle. There are 26 distinctive breeds
of cow in India. The hump, long ears and bushy tail distinguish the Indian cow.
Here cows are everywhere!
Because the cow is respected as a sacred animal, it's allowed to roam unharmed,
and they are pretty used to the traffic and the rhythm of the city. So, you
can see them roaming the streets in towns and cities, grazing unmindfully on
the roadside grass verges and munching away vegetables thrown out by street
sellers. Stray and homeless cows are also supported by temples, especially in
southern India.
Conserve
the Cow
As opposed
to the West, where the cow is widely considered as nothing better than walking
hamburgers, in India, the cow is believed to be a symbol of the earth - because
it gives so much yet asks nothing in return.
Because of its
great economic importance, it makes good sense to protect the cow. It is said
Mahatma Gandhi became a vegetarian because he felt cows were ill-treated. Such
is the respect for the cow, notes scholar Jeaneane Fowler, that
Indians had offered to take in millions of cows waiting for slaughter in Britain
as a result of the crisis in beef production in 1996.
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