Cow's Ecological importance

This article states the ecological importance of cow. Anthropologist Marvin Harris analyzed the ecological importance of cow. Through this article we are trying to understand historical angle of cow’s ecological value ability.

Cows in the rural areas are maintained for producing bullocks rather than for milk. Female buffalos are considered to be better dairy animal than cows. Cows are used for traction, plowing and transport largely. Cow dung is mostly used in India as domestic fuel.           In villages cow’s horns, skin is largely used by untouchable caste. Also to gain proteins cow was the only source for the untouchables. The majority of the Indian cow obtain their requirements from whatever grazing is available from straw and stalk and other residues from human foodstuffs, and are starved seasonally in the dry months when grasses wither. Depends on economical gain of cow usefulness and uselessness is decided. Too old cows and buffaloes are not treated cruelly all the time but to starve and same treatment with young male buffaloes.

It is evident from the history of anti-slaughter agitation and legislation in India that more than ahimsa has been required to protect Indian cow from premature demise. Unfortunately, this legislation is misinterpreted and frequently cited as evidence of anti-economic effect of Hinduism.

Useless cows (economically unimportant), male buffaloes are ecologically unimportant for the farmers. Hence farmers used to sell them to butchers. So without selling such animals no other option left for farmers. Ahimsa principle has been used towards cows to maintain its usability, ecological importance and respect towards cow not to make it political agenda.

But as we dig out in history, Butchers and Englishmen were cow-eaters hence cow’s ecological importance and sustainability becomes issue for countrymen. During colonialism period, political importance of ahimsa becomes more intelligible.

Not to Protestants but to Hindus Gandhi addressed weeping concerning the cow: How we bleed her to take the last drop of milk from her, how we starve her to emaciation, how we ill-treat the calves, how we deprive them of their portion of milk, how cruelly we treat the oxen, how we castrate them, how we beat them, how we overload them. . . . I do not know that the condition of the cattle in any other part of the world is as bad as in unhappy India.

As I have mentioned in my previous article that I am not trying to put my views over the issue but trying to make understand the concept. I have been trying to understand the authors, anthropologist’s say on the concept to understand history in better way and in simple words.

Does ‘cow’ really need protection?

This article is an attempt to speak about historical aspect of cow. Here I am trying 'not to put' my views but definitely challenging reality which is in dilemma..

As per historical data, India has history of more than thousand years. There was a time where Buddhism was initial ‘dharma’ way to peace was started and was praised by Samrat Ashoka dyanasty and then followed all over the India. The question rose here, how come then Brahmanism becomes so important in these days and Hinduism becomes dominant one?  

Buddhism links to beef eating but they believed eat dead cow. Whereas Brahmins used to eat living cow. As Dr. Babasaheb Ambedkar has said Brahmins used to have beef eating practice in the guest of honour. It was strategy which made the Brahmins give up beef-eating and start worshipping the cow. The clue to the worship of the cow is to be found in the struggle between Buddhism and Brahmanism and the means adopted by Brahmanism to establish its supremacy over Buddhism. Buddhist rejected  the Brahmanic religion which consisted of Yajna and animal sacrifice, particularly of the cow. The objection to the sacrifice of the cow had taken a strong hold of the minds of the masses especially as they were an agricultural population and the cow was a very useful animal. Even Anthroppologist Marvin Harris has written on ‘The cultural Ecology of India’s Sacred cow’ which speaks about agricultural importance of cow. Cow was never had religious based connections. It was hindu ideology which made cow as sacred animal.

In above paragraph we tried to understand how beef eating was part of brahmin’s daily life. Eating fresh beef was done by Brahmins. How cow become part of hindu ideology? As beef eating was also part of Buddhist bhikshus but they were not purposely ‘killing’ cow or any other animal. Buddhist bhikshus were allowed to eat three types of flesh later it became five types. Brahmanism was in dilemma how to deal with Buddhiism. They thought to stop beef-eating just to beat supremacy of Buddhism over them. They chose to become vegetarian to deal the extremism with extremism. They started vegetarianism and cow-worship to declare their position.

Also another thing can be raised in our mind that why then Buddhism didn’t joing vegetarianism? But as per Ambedkar’s analysis Killing the cow was Himsa. But eating the dead cow was not. The Broken Men had therefore no cause for feeling qualms of conscience in continuing to eat the dead cow. Neither the law nor the doctrine of Himsa could interdict what they were doing, for what they were doing was neither contrary to law nor to the doctrine.

Dr. Ambedkar, Marvin Harris, Kancha Ilaiah , D.N. Jha are some of the known authors who wrote about cow elaborately. In this article I am trying to put slight gist of Ambedkar’s views on cow. This is very long debate which need a lot to read and a lot to write and definitely a lot to ‘understand’. Hence will carry forward this series.