Veneration of the cow isn't an Indian preserve. Ancient societies from Mesopotamia to Indus Valley glorified the cow. These civilisations marked the beginning of settled agriculture and animals were a necessary source of
energy and power for them. They naturally glorified the cow. What appears unique to India is the duality of attitudes towards, and treatment of, the cow. At an ideational level, the cow is highly venerated. The Aryans were a pastoral society. Cow, being a milch animal, was naturally valued. The celestial cow, the Kamdhenu, became the symbol of plenty and prosperity. The Aryans valued the cow for the milk. They also relished the cow as an item of ceremonial food. Early Vedic literature adduces evidence that the cow was also used as a sacrificial animal. Not only this. Different parts of the cow were differently valued and relished. Since the emergence of reactionary tendencies among a section of the Hindus, there is a conscious effort to suppress these references. The cow divided the society into two groups. One comprises those from the higher castes who swear by vegetarianism and venerate the cow. The other consists of the lower castes which eat the cow and is non-vegetarian. This section constitutes the majority among Hindus. One reason they are looked down upon is that they eat beef. Christians, Muslims and tribals are similarly considered lowly.
The cow has been a source of communal conflict over the decades. It has historically sparked riots. During the freedom struggle, placing cow-meat in temples and playing of music in front of mosques were the most potent sources of communal outbreaks. Far too often human lives have been lost in the name of the cow.
The peasant has always displayed a most pragmatic orientation to the cow. He nurtures it, feeds it, and takes care of it for the milk it provides. At the same time, when the cow grows old he easily recognises that it is of no significant value any more. He sells it to the Muslim butcher. This secular ethic of the peasant demonstrates that the hullabaloo that we often witness over the cow has no basis in existential realities.
The veneration of the cow stands in marked contrast to the inhuman treatment meted out to the animal. The proverbial bania, who worships the cow in the street before opening his shop, hits it with his lathi if it comes close to the grain stored in his shop. Even milkmen let cows loose to fend for themselves. In urban areas, the cow has the most pathetic existence. Rather than vegetation or grass, it eats plastic bags and garbage. This dualism is a deplorable aspect of Indian life. Societies that eat them rear them better. If one were to ask people whether they would like to be born at some point in the cycle of life and death as a cow, few Indians would answer the question in the positive. Those who raise social struggles in the name of the cow do so out of political motivations rather than respect for the cow.
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Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
energy and power for them. They naturally glorified the cow. What appears unique to India is the duality of attitudes towards, and treatment of, the cow. At an ideational level, the cow is highly venerated. The Aryans were a pastoral society. Cow, being a milch animal, was naturally valued. The celestial cow, the Kamdhenu, became the symbol of plenty and prosperity. The Aryans valued the cow for the milk. They also relished the cow as an item of ceremonial food. Early Vedic literature adduces evidence that the cow was also used as a sacrificial animal. Not only this. Different parts of the cow were differently valued and relished. Since the emergence of reactionary tendencies among a section of the Hindus, there is a conscious effort to suppress these references. The cow divided the society into two groups. One comprises those from the higher castes who swear by vegetarianism and venerate the cow. The other consists of the lower castes which eat the cow and is non-vegetarian. This section constitutes the majority among Hindus. One reason they are looked down upon is that they eat beef. Christians, Muslims and tribals are similarly considered lowly.The cow has been a source of communal conflict over the decades. It has historically sparked riots. During the freedom struggle, placing cow-meat in temples and playing of music in front of mosques were the most potent sources of communal outbreaks. Far too often human lives have been lost in the name of the cow.
The peasant has always displayed a most pragmatic orientation to the cow. He nurtures it, feeds it, and takes care of it for the milk it provides. At the same time, when the cow grows old he easily recognises that it is of no significant value any more. He sells it to the Muslim butcher. This secular ethic of the peasant demonstrates that the hullabaloo that we often witness over the cow has no basis in existential realities.
The veneration of the cow stands in marked contrast to the inhuman treatment meted out to the animal. The proverbial bania, who worships the cow in the street before opening his shop, hits it with his lathi if it comes close to the grain stored in his shop. Even milkmen let cows loose to fend for themselves. In urban areas, the cow has the most pathetic existence. Rather than vegetation or grass, it eats plastic bags and garbage. This dualism is a deplorable aspect of Indian life. Societies that eat them rear them better. If one were to ask people whether they would like to be born at some point in the cycle of life and death as a cow, few Indians would answer the question in the positive. Those who raise social struggles in the name of the cow do so out of political motivations rather than respect for the cow.
For Complete IIPM Article, Click on IIPM Article
Source : IIPM Editorial, 2009
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