Stray Cows and Gaushalas

"Cows are amongst the gentlest of breathing creatures; none show more passionate tenderness to their young when deprived of them; and, in short, I am not ashamed to profess a deep love for these quiet creatures." -Thomas de Quincey

In India, cows, bulls, calves, buffaloes, and oxen are abhorrent because they are regarded as sacred. Humans have devolved into mercenaries who will do anything to exploit the cattle for profit. India, the top milk producer in the world, contributes 22% to worldwide output and will have a dairy industry of INR 11,357 billion in 2020. In India, where the cow is revered, there are far too many cows, bulls, calves, buffaloes, and oxen. Humans have devolved into mercenaries who will do anything to exploit the cattle for profit. India, the top milk producer in the world, contributes 22% to worldwide output and will have a dairy industry of INR 11,357 billion in 2020. This method of increasing milk production is harmful and illegal in addition to being prohibited.

Additionally, the owners of these cows and buffaloes neglect to give them enough food and shelter; as a result, they are seen wandering the streets in quest of sustenance. Watching animals consume unclean materials from roadside waste is a typical sight in India. Cattle owners continue to sell their sad animals to slaughterhouses anytime they feel that doing so will not increase their profits. Despite the existence of regulations, such as the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960, state-specific legislation prohibiting the slaughter of cows and buffaloes, and Supreme Court rulings in favor of such legislation, the suffering of these animals has not decreased. 



Problem of Stray cattle:

It is important to remember that the owners throw away cattle that are no longer useful. These animals are referred to as stray cattle because they walk the streets in search of food or are often seen sitting in the middle of the road because they have nowhere to go or stay. Only as long as the cattle are useful to their owners are they maintained in a shelter. The mistreatment or abandonment of the cows and bulls who are revered as deities is improper. Cattle are a valuable resource that support the agricultural system and so help to ensure food security. According to the 20th Livestock Census, which was published in January 2020 by the Union Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairy, there are more than 5 million stray cattle in India.


It is astounding to learn that there are 19.7 million cows and bulls living in the state of Madhya Pradesh, which is one cow for every third human, according to a 2012 livestock census. In the state of MP, around 50% of the entire cattle herd is in the non-breedable category and might be deemed unproductive, according to the director of the Directorate of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services. These stray cattle are left to fend for themselves and are not given any assistance. In Rajasthan, there are 13 million cows living there. The Government of Madhya Pradesh has appointed committees to investigate the problem of stray cattle and the idea of harsh punishment for leaving cattle, although it is sometimes found to be impossible to identify the owners of the deserted cattle. Aside from that, farmers who are hit by calamities like floods, starvation, and drought can hardly feed themselves, much less their animals. They are left with little choice but to give up their unprofitable animals under such circumstances.

Gaushalas for Cattle:

An Indian Goshala, also known as a Gaushala, is a cow's shelter. According to Merriam Webster, Gaushala is a facility that houses unwanted or homeless cattle and frequently doubles as a breeding facility and a hub for research into the nutrition and welfare of animals. The word "Goshala," which is also a Sanskrit term, is made up of the Sanskrit words "go," which means "cow," and "shala," which means "shelter." Cattle are respected and treated with dignity in Gaushala. Old, abandoned livestock that were unprofitable were distributed in gaushalas in ancient India.



According to the government's proposed solution, the only practical way to handle the needs of an increasing number of stray cattle is to send them to the Gaushalas. This can be inferred from the "Rashtriya Gokul Mission" project, which the Central Government launched to assist Gaushalas and increase their numbers so that stray cattle can be steered onto Gaushalas (Cow Shelters).

Establishment of Gokul Grams under RGM:

Under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission, Gokul Grams are planned to be established. The Gokul Grams are integrated cattle development centres with a focus on developing native breeds, up to 40% of which are unremarkable breeds. The following objectives are listed:

  • promotion of scientifically sound native cattle conservation and breeding.
  • propagation of bulls with excellent genetic quality in native breeds.
  • contemporary farm management approaches are optimised, and common resource management is promoted.
  • efficient use of animal waste, such as cow dung and cow urine.
RGM Implementation:

The Central Government approved INR 197.67 Crores under the Rashtriya Gokul Mission to develop 21 Gokul Grams (Cattle Centers) across the nation. But the Mission, which was ostensibly established to preserve the indigenous cattle breeds, has not been carried out by the government. The failure of the plan to carry out the plan can be inferred from the fact that no Centers are visible on the ground till 2016. Furthermore, several states have not made any effort to implement the programme, demonstrating their lack of enthusiasm in the Mission. Only 4 Gokul Grams have been created as of 2019, and they are located in the cities of Varanasi, Mathura, Patiala, and Phora. The remaining 17 Gokul Grams are still under construction.




Gaushala Management:

The current state of Gaushalas in India was brought to light by animal rights activist and Union Minister Maneka Gandhi. In addition, she had developed Standard Operating Procedures (SOP) for managing the Gaushalas' cow shelters, not as a government endeavor but rather as an animal rights activist.

There are different types of cow protection, in her words. Gandhi had raised worry about the Gaushalas' poor upkeep, which resulted in high mortality rates for the animals housed there. She noted that the 19th Livestock Census, which was carried out in 2014, indicated that there are approximately 122 million cows in India. It is unclear how many of them, including bulls, oxen, and buffaloes, make their way to Gaushalas.

There are around 3,030 gaushalas in the country, of which 1325 are managed by the various animal husbandry departments of the States, according to a response to a query concerning them that was posed in the Parliament in 2014. While the National Bovine Mission's grassland development category is where the grants that are awarded to these gaushalas are mentioned.

Maneka Gandhi had said, “Majority of the gaushalas in the country are poorly run wherein the abandoned and old animals are kept in a small enclosure. The mortality rate in gaushalas is 10% a month. The idea behind writing the manual is to make such shelters more sensitive to the need of the animals that are sought to be saved and also make them financially viable.”

Conclusion:

The government needs to investigate different options to prevent stray animals from suffering as well as to safeguard the public from the threat posed by these stray cattle. Simply keeping stray livestock in gaushalas is not adequate or effective to address the problem of stray cattle. The topic of wandering cattle was brought up in Parliament by MP Kunwar Pushpendra Pal Singh. He demanded that a national stray cattle board be established to take care of abandoned animals. He had claimed that building gaushalas is not the answer to the stray cattle issue. During the agricultural season, he advocated for the government to give farmers Rs 2000 per bull. If cattle farming is encouraged, people won't give up on their pets. Animals can also be identified by their owners if they are tagged with their information. The recommendations made by MP Kunwar Singh should be taken into consideration.

References:

                                                                                                   Enrollment no.- A20405221079

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