News Analysis India

Tag: Cows

  • First suspected case of lumpy skin disease reported in Mumbai 

    By PTI

    MUMBAI: A suspected case of lumpy skin disease in an animal has been detected in the Mumbai suburb of Khar, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said on Thursday.

    So far, the metropolis has not reported any confirmed case of lumpy skin disease which affects cattle like cows and buffaloes.

    The official said they have sent samples of the cattle showing symptoms of the disease for lab examination and a report was awaited.

    “The report is likely to be received tonight (Thursday night),” the civic official said, but did not disclose details about the animal except that it was found in Khar in Western suburbs.

    ALSO READ | In Madhya Pradesh, 7K cattle infected with Lumpy Skin Disease

    Meanwhile, the BMC, in a release, said Mumbai has over 27,500 cattle, including 24,388 buffaloes.

    Of these, 2,203 cows have already been given the vaccine against the lumpy skin disease and the remaining will be inoculated by next week, the release said.

    Highlighting steps taken to prevent an outbreak of the disease, the civic body said it has already started a survey of cattle in Mumbai and undertaken measures like spraying insecticides in ‘tabelas’ and ‘gaushalas (animal shelter homes).

    ALSO READ | Safe to consume milk from Lumpy Skin Disease-infected cattle, says IVRI official

    The civic official said as a precautionary measure, the BMC has stopped the slaughter of buffaloes in the city since September 9.

    Lumpy skin is a viral disease that affects cattle. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes and flies. The disease causes fever, nodules on the skin and can also lead to death of the infected cattle. 

    MUMBAI: A suspected case of lumpy skin disease in an animal has been detected in the Mumbai suburb of Khar, a Brihanmumbai Municipal Corporation (BMC) official said on Thursday.

    So far, the metropolis has not reported any confirmed case of lumpy skin disease which affects cattle like cows and buffaloes.

    The official said they have sent samples of the cattle showing symptoms of the disease for lab examination and a report was awaited.

    “The report is likely to be received tonight (Thursday night),” the civic official said, but did not disclose details about the animal except that it was found in Khar in Western suburbs.

    ALSO READ | In Madhya Pradesh, 7K cattle infected with Lumpy Skin Disease

    Meanwhile, the BMC, in a release, said Mumbai has over 27,500 cattle, including 24,388 buffaloes.

    Of these, 2,203 cows have already been given the vaccine against the lumpy skin disease and the remaining will be inoculated by next week, the release said.

    Highlighting steps taken to prevent an outbreak of the disease, the civic body said it has already started a survey of cattle in Mumbai and undertaken measures like spraying insecticides in ‘tabelas’ and ‘gaushalas (animal shelter homes).

    ALSO READ | Safe to consume milk from Lumpy Skin Disease-infected cattle, says IVRI official

    The civic official said as a precautionary measure, the BMC has stopped the slaughter of buffaloes in the city since September 9.

    Lumpy skin is a viral disease that affects cattle. It is transmitted by blood-feeding insects such as mosquitoes and flies. The disease causes fever, nodules on the skin and can also lead to death of the infected cattle. 

  • There are holy cows from Varanasi to Vadipatti, dare not poke fun at them, says HC

    By PTI

    MADURAI: India has “holy cows” grazing from Varanasi in Uttar Pradesh to Vadipatti in Tamil Nadu and one dare not poke fun at them, the Madras High Court has held and said the Constitution would probably do with an amendment for “duty to laugh.” All over the country, national security happens to be the “ultimate holy cow,” the Madras High Court Bench observed.

    The court’s observation came while quashing a police FIR filed against a person for a Facebook post of photos with an accompanying caption “Trip to Sirumalai for shooting practice,” apparently written in a lighter vein.

    Justice G R Swaminathan invoked well-known satirists, cartoonists and journalists and said had they authored the judgement, “they would have proposed a momentous amendment to the Constitution of India to incorporate sub-clause (l) in Article 51-A,” which deals with duty related to abiding by the Constitution and uphold and protect the sovereignty, unity and integrity of India among others.

    “To this, the hypothetical author would have added one more fundamental duty- duty to laugh. The correlative right to be funny can be mined in Article 19 (1) (a) of the Constitution of India (the use of crypto vocabulary to be forgiven),” the judge said in his recent order.

    Being funny is one thing and poking fun at another is different altogether, he added. “Laugh at what? is a serious question. This is because we have holy cows grazing all over from Varanasi to Vadipatty. One dare not poke fun at them. There is however no single catalogue of holy cows. It varies from person to person and from region to region.”

    “A real cow, even if terribly underfed and emaciated, shall be holy in Yogi’s terrain. In West Bengal, Tagore is such an iconic figure that Khushwant Singh learnt the lesson at some cost. Coming to my own Tamil Desh, the all-time iconoclast “Periyar” Shri E V Ramasamy is a super-holy cow.

    In today’s Kerala, Marx and Lenin are beyond the bounds of criticism or satire. Chhatrapati Shivaji and Veer Savarkar enjoy a similar immunity in Maharashtra. But all over India, there is one ultimate holy cow and that is national security,” the judge said.

    Petitioner Mathivanan, an office-bearer of CPI (ML), had sought quashing the FIR registered by Vadipatti police in Madurai over his Facebook post that carried his pictures of a visit to Siruamalai with the caption in Tamil– “Thuppakki Payirchikaga Sirumalai Payanam,” translating to “Trip to Sirumalai for shooting practice.”

    “The petitioner herein is an important office-bearer of a not-so-important political party. CPI (ML) is now an over-ground organization which contests elections also. Paper warriors are also entitled to fantasise that they are swadeshi Che Guevaras,” the judge said.

    “Revolutionaries, whether real or phoney, are not usually credited with any sense of humour (or at least this is the stereotype). For a change, the petitioner tried to be funny. Perhaps it was his maiden attempt at humour,” the judge said.

    But the police did not “find it to be a joke” and booked him under different sections of IPC, including collecting arms with intention of waging war against the Government of India and criminal intimidation by an anonymous communication (IPC 507), the judge pointed out. He said invoking IPC Section 507 “makes me laugh.”

    “Section 507 IPC can be invoked only if the person sending the communication had concealed his identity. The communication must be anonymous. In this case, the petitioner had posted the photographs along with the caption in his Facebook page. He has not concealed his identity. There is nothing anonymous about the act in question,” he said.

    In fact, none of the ingredients set out in the sections under which he was booked were present in the case, the court said.

    “The very registration of the impugned FIR is absurd and an abuse of legal process. It stands quashed,” the judge ruled.

  • Come forward to protect cows, culture, says Uttar Pradesh CM Yogi Adityanath to religious bodies

    By PTI

    GORAKHPUR: Uttar Pradesh Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday appealed to religious bodies to come forward for the protection of cows and culture, saying mere speeches can’t serve the purpose.

    Adityanath said this during a programme held to mark 52nd death anniversary of Mahant Digvijaynath and seventh death anniversary of Mahant Avaidyanath at the Gorakhnath temple here.

    The chief minister said so far no religious body has come forward to adopt cows from shelter homes and added that religion can only be protected when its real values are understood.

    “The government is doing its work but people have to come forward as cows can’t be protected with the attitude of taking milk and leaving them on roads,” the CM said.

    “Only speeches can’t protect cows but for this, it is necessary to get associated with the system and work with respect and devotion,” he added.

    “Religious organisations should come forward for the protection of cows, Sanskrit and culture,” he appealed.

    Adityanath further said currently six lakh cows are in shelter homes under the ‘Sahbhagita Scheme’.

    If anyone adopts a cow from a shelter home, he will get Rs 900 per month from the government, he said.

  • Help desks for cows in UP; equip shelters with oximeters, thermal scanners: Yogi Adityanath

    By IANS
    LUCKNOW: Amid the prevailing pandemic, the Yogi Adityanath government is taking forward its cow protection agenda and has issued directives to set up help desks for protection of cows in every district.

    The state government has also issued instructions that all the cow shelters (gaushalas) must strictly follow the Covid-19 protocols, and has made the usage of masks and frequent thermal screening mandatory.

    The cow shelters will also be equipped with all the medical equipment’s such as oximeters and thermal scanners for cows and other animals as well.

    In view of the current Covid situation, a total of 700 help desks for the welfare of cows have been set up across the districts of Uttar Pradesh. With this, 51 oximeters and 341 thermal scanners have also been provided to ensure better animal care and testing.

    According to the government spokesman, destitute cows, in large numbers, are being provided shelter in the gaushalas. The government is also rapidly increasing the number of the existing cowsheds and cow shelters to deal with stray cattle menace.

    According to the official data, there are over 5,268 cow protection centres which have, till now, ensured the well-being of as many as 5,73,417 cattle in the state.

    About 4,64,311 cows in both, villages and cities, have been kept at 4,529 temporary cow shelters.

    Of these, 40,640 cows are in 161 Kanha Gaushalas and 10,827 cows in 407 Kanji houses.

    Apart from this, 171 large cow-conservation centres / cow sanctuaries have been constructed in the state, which have provided shelter to as many as 57,639 cows.

    The fodder bank model, developed by the state government, is ensuring timely fodder through 3452 Fodder Banks which are feeding lakhs of stray cattle in Uttar Pradesh amid the covid crisis.

    Under the Mukhya Mantri Besahara Gau-Vansh Sahbhagita Yojana, the UP government also made a provision of giving a financial assistance of Rs 900 per month to every farmer taking care of stray cattle. So far, a total of 85,869 cows have been provided to 44, 651 beneficiaries.

    In addition, the well-being of over 1,05,380 cows has been ensured by 533 registered cowsheds and 377 functional cow shelters, whereas, a total of 47, 040 cows have been preserved in about 304 unregistered cowsheds.