The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), India’s ruling Hindu nationalist party, has made cow protection a key part of its agenda. The cow is revered by many Hindus as a sacred animal, and the BJP has enacted stricter laws to ban cow slaughter and beef consumption in several states.
The party has also set up a National Cow Commission to promote cow welfare and research. However, these measures have not only sparked violence and discrimination against minorities, but also harmed the cows themselves.
According to Human Rights Watch, since 2014, vigilante groups affiliated with the BJP or its ideological parent, the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), have attacked and killed dozens of people, mostly Muslims, Dalits, and Adivasis, on suspicion of slaughtering, trading, or consuming cows. These groups have also harassed and extorted money from farmers, transporters, and traders involved in the cattle industry. The police have often failed to protect the victims or prosecute the perpetrators, and in some cases, even filed cases against the victims under the cow protection laws.
The cow protection laws have also created a surplus of unwanted cattle, as farmers are unable to sell or dispose of their old or unproductive animals. Many of these cattle end up roaming the streets, causing traffic accidents, damaging crops, and spreading diseases. Some are also smuggled across state or national borders, often under inhumane conditions. The government’s efforts to provide shelters or subsidies for cow care have been inadequate and plagued by corruption and mismanagement.
The BJP’s obsession with cow protection has also undermined scientific research and education. The National Cow Commission, which was supposed to conduct research on the benefits of cow products, has instead promoted pseudoscientific claims and myths, such as that cow urine can cure cancer and that cow dung can protect from radiation. The commission also planned to conduct a nationwide ‘Cow Science’ exam, which was criticized by scientists and educators for containing unscientific and biased material. The exam was later postponed indefinitely.
The BJP’s pro-cow policies have proven to be a disaster for both human rights and animal welfare. Instead of protecting the cows, the party has used them as a tool to advance its Hindu nationalist agenda and marginalize minorities. The party should repeal the discriminatory and draconian cow protection laws, crack down on the vigilante groups, and support the cattle industry with rational and humane policies. The party should also respect scientific evidence and rationality, and stop spreading misinformation and propaganda about cows. Only then can the cows and the people of India live in peace and harmony.