Celebrate Valentine’s Day as ‘Cow Love Day’: U.P. minister

Uttar Pradesh animal husbandry minister Dharmpal Singh visited a cow shelter at Bakshi Ka Talab area in Lucknow

LUCKNOW Uttar Pradesh animal husbandry minister Dharmpal Singh visited a cow shelter on Valentine’s Day and appealed to people to celebrate the day as ‘Cow Love Day.’ The Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) had recently withdrawn an appeal to celebrate Valentine’s Day as ‘Cow Hug Day’. The withdrawal apparently had come on the directions of the government following widespread criticism on social media.

U.P. cabinet minister Dharmpal Singh offering jaggery to cows at a cow shelter in Bakshi Ka Talab in Lucknow on Tuesday. (Sourced)

However, Singh who visited a cow shelter at Bakshi Ka Talab area in Lucknow made a near-similar appeal, tweaking the AWBI’s ‘Cow Hug Day’ appeal to ‘Cow Love Day’. He didn’t refer either to the previous AWBI appeal or its subsequent withdrawal but proceeded to give reasons for his call, which, he said was also guided by the fact that even cow excreta was so pious and pure.

“In various countries, February 14 is celebrated as Valentine’s Day to express love for one’s parents, siblings, couple … the society also has many free relations … but, we believe that all have three mothers—one who gives birth, ‘Gau Mata’ (mother cow) and the Bharat Mata (Motherland),” the minister said.

“We must bow, respect and celebrate all these mothers. And so, on the occasion of Valentine’s Day, I appeal to people to celebrate the day as ‘Cow Love Day’ too. People should visit cow shelters and offer jaggery to cows there. A visit to cow homes offers relief from stress and helps usher in prosperity,” he said.

“There is no animal in the world whose excreta is so pure. The ‘Gobar’ (cow dung) is a great insecticide and has properties to clear pollution. It is pure and attracts Goddess Laxmi—the goddess of wealth and prosperity. This time on Holi, I want people to burn the Holi bonfire by using dried cow dung which will also help clean the atmosphere. Remember how in old times people would use cow dung cakes to keep insects away. As for ‘go mutra’, it is akin to Ganga Maiyya (mother Ganga) and has properties to clear Vastu Dosh (bad luck or negative energy),” he said.

The minister also said cow dung would become as costly as milk since PM Narendra Modi had launched ‘Gobar-Dhan’ scheme. The Gobar-Dhan scheme was launched by the Centre in April 2018 as part of biodegradable waste management component under Swachh Bharat Mission— Grameen (Clean India Mission—Rural) to generate wealth and energy from cattle and organic waste.