Vishva Mangal Gau Gam Yatra

Ban cow slaughter; declare it as national animal, demands Seer

BHUBANESWAR: Shankaracharya of Gokarna Pitha, Karanataka Swami Jagadaguru Raghaveshwar Bharati on January 6 asked Congress led UPA Government at Centre as well as respective States Government to impose a complete ban on cow slaughtering.

The firebrand Hindu Seer, while addressing a Press Conference here, further demanded that the Government should declare cow as national animal and ensure protection.

"We would conduct a 108 days Rath Yatra to high light the issue. The Rath Yatra, which will spread the message of 'save cow and save village' will be flagged off on September 28, 2009, on Vijaya Dashami Day at Kurukhetra in Hariyana and calumniated at Nagpur in 2010 on Makar Sankranti Day," the Shankaracharya said. The Yatra would traverse some 20,000 kilometers, he added.

Apart, from the main Rath, 15,000 smaller Rath to traverse some 10 lakh kilometers during in 108 days, he added. The Seer further said that meetings will be held at 400 places across the country and signature of 50 crore people will be collected and submitted to the President of India seeking complete ban on cow slaughter, he added.

The Seer said that main Rath would stay in Orissa for three days. Coming down heavily on Church and Islamic terrorists, the Seer claimed that Hindus are in danger due to faulty policies of the political class.

The urgent call for the protection and preservation of Indian Cow Breed has been his primary activity in the very recent years. Of total 70 breeds recognised in India, only around 35 breeds exist now and all of them can be found in Seer's Matt in Karnataka. He started the Kamaduga yogana, to concentrate on the work. Projects are on to start 108 goshalas, of which few are already started in Karnataka, Maharastra, Kerala, Tamilnadu.

The Seer, who came into prominence after organising the "Go Yatre" in 2004 and the "Go Sansat" in 2006 has said that this move to focus attention on the need to protect and promote Indian cow breeds many of which are believed to be on the verge of extinction.

Swamiji who had taken up protection of the pure Indian cow breeds as his mission through a programme "Kamadugha" will lead the 108 days Yatra, sources added. Shankar Lal ji, Joint-Coordinator Biswa Mangal Go Gram Yatra Samiti and AS Panigrahi of the State unit were among those present at the Press meet.