Tag: cow dung

  • India to hold ‘cow exam’ next month

    India to hold ‘cow exam’ next month

    India will hold a mass nationwide online “cow science” exam next month, in the latest push by the Hindu nationalist government to promote and protect the sacred animal, officials said Wednesday.

    The hour-long test on February 25, open to children and adults as well as foreigners, comprises 100 multiple-choice questions in Hindi, English, and 12 regional languages.

    The aim is to assess the public’s knowledge and “sensitise and educate” them, according to the Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA) cow protection agency created by Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s administration.

    “Certificates will be given to all. Successful meritorious candidates will be given prizes and certificates,” the Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying said.

    “The cow is full of science and economics. People are not aware of the true economic and scientific value of the animal,” said RKA chief Vallabhbhai Kathiria.

    Accompanying study material released by the RKA includes information on different breeds of cows as well as the theory that slaughtering animals causes earthquakes.

    Many from India’s overwhelming Hindu majority consider cows sacred but under Modi’s rule, the animal has increasingly become a political and sectarian flashpoint.

    His government has made cows a top priority and invested millions of dollars in programmes to protect the animal and research the uses for bovine dung and urine.

    Cow slaughter and eating beef has become illegal in many parts of the culturally diverse and officially secular country, while sentences elsewhere have increased. There have been a string of attacks by vigilante Hindu groups on Muslims and low-caste Hindus who have traditionally eaten beef and disposed of cow carcasses.

    On Tuesday, the southern state of Karnataka amended its cow protection law to give police increased powers to search and arrest anyone without a warrant suspected of cow slaughter.

    The state government, controlled by Modi’s Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), enhanced jail terms to seven years and fines to one million rupees ($13,700) for offenders.

  • Indian political organisation plans ‘gaumutra party’ to fight coronavirus

    Indian political organisation plans ‘gaumutra party’ to fight coronavirus

    With the sixth case of coronavirus being confirmed in India, the Hindu Mahasabha — a political organisation formed to protect the rights of the Hindu community and to safeguard Hinduism — has decided to organise a gaumutra [cow urine] party to ensure that the virus doesn’t spread in New Delhi.

    As per the details, Party President Chakrapani Maharaj has told The Print that there was a need to create greater awareness among the people on “how cow urine and cow dung, besides consuming cow products, can help eliminate coronavirus”.

    “Just like we organise tea parties, we have decided to organise a gaumutra party, wherein we will inform people about what is coronavirus and how, by consuming cow-related products, people can be saved from it,” Maharaj, who heads one of the two factions of the Mahasabha, said.

    “The event will have counters that will provide gaumutra for people to consume. At the same time, we will also put cow products like cow-dung cakes and agarbatti made from that. Upon using these, the virus will die immediately.”

    The event will be first organised at Hindu Mahasabha Bhawan in Delhi, following which such ‘parties’ will be held across the country.

    “We are in touch with gaushalas (cow shelters) across the country, who can collaborate and work with us in our mission to eliminate corona,” he said, adding that coronavirus had come to India because some ministers angered it by publicly consuming chicken.

  • ISPR chief wishes India ‘get well soon’ over cow dung fight for ‘good health’

    In yet another trolling episode, Inter-Services Public Relations (ISPR) Director General (DG) Major General Asif Ghafoor has wished neighbouring India “get well soon” over cow dung fight for “good health”.

    As per the details, customary annual Gore Habba festival was recently held in the Gumatapura village of southern India. In a viral video, villagers were seen holding massive cow dung fights, believing it has a healing effect.

    While getting smeared in moist bovine discharge is hardly a pleasant experience for most, each year after the Diwali holiday, the villagers – and anyone willing to join them – partake in the faecal festival that is all about excrement-throwing.

    “Get well soon…” the ISPR chief tweeted while reacting to the video on Thursday.

    While it might look quite unsanitary to smear your whole body in faeces, the devotees believe it is not only harmless, but actually cures diseases.

    “Cow dung is very natural and has a lot of medicinal benefits. Others might say if we throw cow dung at each other we will get some infections or even some disease. But with the trust of our god Beereshwara, we are playing in the cow dung, so nothing happens to us,” RT quoted one of the villagers as saying.

    The villager further said that the festival was all about equality and anyone regardless of their caste or religion can participate. Still, women are barred from the excrement-throwing part, yet they are free to watch the show.

    The tradition comes from the belief that remains of a saint were placed in a pit in the village, and took the shape of a Linga (an abstract phallic representation of Shiva), which became covered by cow excrements over time. The deity of the village is believed to value cow excrements too, thus the villagers dump the substance in abundance behind the local temple.