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SOCIETY
A
Karnataka Seer - passionate about protecting
pedigreed Indian cows
Bangalore:
A seer in Karnataka has started a movement to
protect the pedigreed Indian cows and bulls. For Swami
Raghaveshwara Bharathi of the Ramachandra Pura Mutt,
protecting the Indian cow has become a mission. He
has collected more than 27 native breeds from across
the country so far and kept them in a cow shelter
on the outskirts of Bangalore. His collection includes
the Amrutamahal and the Malnad Gidda breeds from Karnataka,
the Hariana from Haryana, the Ongole from Andhra Pradesh,
the Malavi from Madhya Pradesh, the Siri from West
Bengal and Lal Khandhari from Maharashtra. He also
has set-up parlours which manufacture shampoo, soap
and other beauty products by using non-milk products,
like cow urine and dung. "Cow urine is more expensive
than milk. If there will be proper networking and
marketing for the non-milk products, then the farmer
will never sell his cow. Cow urine has very high medicinal
value. It can be used to cure many diseases such as
cancer and diabetes. Just like dairy chains, there
should be cow urine parlours," said Bharathi.
Bharathi,
who believes that Indian cows are better in every
way than the foreign breeds, claims that out of 70
original Indian breeds of cow, only 32 are left. "It
is very difficult to find some breeds now. Even after
having found them, we have to influence on their owners.
We take them in confidence and then make them understand
the need to protect the cow. We face a lot of difficulty
in doing so. Our role mainly comes in the third stage,
when the cow reaches the slaughtering stage. This
is when we come to protect them," he says. Swami Raghaveshwara
Bharathi says: "If any farmer is in distress, he can
give the cow to us for free, and take it back when
he want. The interest will only be a calf born by
the cow." "We have not asked for any help from the
Government and are mostly dependent on public aid
and support," he adds. He is also organising an international
conference next year. According to Swami Bharathi,
at least 20 lakh people, including some prominent
scientists would participate in the conference to
be organised on the banks of Sharavati River at Karnataka's
Shimoga District from April 21-29, 2007.
-Nov
2, 2006
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