February 14 is Valentine's Day, which originated in Western countries, and it is usually a day about romance, flowers and chocolate. In India, however, people want to repackage it as a festival about cattle.
On February 6, local time, the Animal Welfare Council of India issued a statement calling for February 14 to be designated as "Cow Embrace Day", hoping that this move will not only enrich people's emotions, but also offset the erosion of Western culture.
Not long after, the call seemed counterproductive. A flood of memes, cartoons and jokes about mocking "Cow Embrace Day" appeared on the Internet. In this public opinion atmosphere, on February 10, local time, the Animal Welfare Commission of India decided to withdraw its call urging the public to celebrate "Cow Embrace Day" on Valentine's Day.
The controversial "Bull Holding Day"
For centuries, the cow has been regarded as a sacred symbol in Hindu culture. Mahatma Gandhi also described cows as "the mothers of millions of people in India."
In this cultural context, India also wants to further enhance the status of cattle in people's daily lives. On February 6, local time, the Animal Welfare Council of India, a statutory body that advises India's fisheries, livestock and dairy sectors, issued a special statement.
Cows are the backbone of Indian culture and rural economy, and due to their nourishing nature, cows are givers of all things, providing wealth to humanity, the statement reads. And the "dazzling" Western civilization has made India's material culture and heritage almost forgotten, and the "Vedic traditions" are almost on the verge of extinction. Considering that hugging a cow increases individual and collective well-being, all those who love cows are called upon to celebrate "Hugging the Cow Day" on February 14 to remember the importance of cows and make life happy and full of positive energy.
The appeal was supported by Indian government officials. Asked what he thought of the Indian Council for Animal Welfare's proposal, Rural Development Minister Singh said it was a good initiative, "We should really love cows, and I'm glad it's already started," Hindustan reported. ”
On January 15, 2021, local time, the village of Palamedu, a suburb of Madurai, India, held its annual cattle taming event. Photo/Visual China
This move was intended to increase the respect and affection of the Indian people for cows, but in terms of results, I am afraid that it backfired.
Less than a week after the call to statement was issued, there was a flood of ridicule and sarcasm on the Indian internet about "Embrace the Cow Day". According to CNN, Indian media have been mocking the government's plan, publishing a number of caricatures, and netizens have widely posted and reposted videos of human-animal conflicts. The New Delhi television (NDTV) anchor also posted a video of himself trying to hug a cow but struggling to resist his contact, quipping that "it's important to get the other person's consent."
Political analyst Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay even called the call "crazy," telling The Associated Press that such statements were illogical and showed another line between state and religion, "which is very frustrating." ”
Amid criticism and ridicule, the Animal Welfare Commission of India withdrew the call. On February 10, local time, S.K. Kumar Duta, head of the Animal Welfare Council of India. Dutta) said that in accordance with the instructions of the competent authorities and the Ministry of Fisheries, Livestock and Dairy, the call issued by the Commission to celebrate "Cow Embrace Day" on February 14, 2023 has been withdrawn.
Politicized Indian cattle
This is not the first time India has caused turmoil because it wants to implement cattle-related policies.
According to CNN, 80 percent of India's roughly 1.3 billion people are Hindus, and in their view, cows represent happiness and good luck, and that slaughtering and eating cows is a sin. The sale and slaughter of cattle is also prohibited in most parts of India.
In 2019, India's Ministry of Fisheries, Livestock and Dairy also set up a dairy protection agency, Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog (RKA), and launched a national examination on "cattle science" to stimulate curiosity about cattle.
Looking through the 54-page exam study guide, there are many unscientific claims. For example, mass slaughter can lead to major earthquakes. In the absence of actual evidence, it asserts that Indian cows have unique emotional perception and that Indian cows have the best milk quality compared to exotic cows.
It was because the course was widely criticized for its unscientific description of cattle, and in 2021, the RKA was forced to postpone the national cow science exam indefinitely.
In fact, India has not always attached so much importance to the meaning of cattle. In his book The Myth of the Holy Cow, the historian D.N. Jha notes that the sanctity of the cow is a relatively new tradition and, more importantly, that over time the cow has tended to become a political tool in the hands of rulers.
Infographic: Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi. Photo/Visual China
This is especially true in the last 10 years. CNN pointed out that in 2014, Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi came to power amid a wave of Hindu nationalism, promising to end the slaughter of cattle, which are becoming increasingly politicized. Modi's Bharatiya Janata Party is closely linked to the Hindu tradition. This has led traditional Hindu believers to believe that celebrating romance on Valentine's Day goes against traditional Indian values.
During this time, the "vigilante" group began patrolling the streets to enforce Hindu moral codes, which included stopping non-Hindu butchers from slaughtering cows, preventing couples from holding hands in public or celebrating Valentine's Day.
Beijing News reporter Luan Ruoxi
Edited by Zhang Lei Proofread by Lijun Li