Cow does not represent regressive past, says PM
MATHURA: Prime Minister Narendra Modi launched a nationwide cattle vaccination campaign on Wednesday in the holy town of Mathura, invoking mythological references to stress the need for balancing economic imperatives and the environment, and took a swipe at critics who, he said, believed that the gau (cow) represented a regressive past, drawing a swift riposte from the Opposition.
“Cattle wealth has always played a pivotal role in the rural economy, yet there are those who believe that the words ‘om’ and ‘gau’ would take the nation back to the 16th-17th century. People with such a mindset have damaged the country a lot,” Modi said after launching the ₹12,652-crore National Animal Disease Control Programme.
The campaign is aimed at vaccinating cattle to eradicate the foot and mouth disease (FMD) and brucellosis, a bacterial infection, among livestock. Over 500 million livestock, including cattle, buffalo, sheep, goats and pigs, will be vaccinated against FMD. Thirty-six million female bovine calves will be vaccinated yearly in the fight against brucellosis.the programme has two components – to control the diseases by 2025 and eradicate them by 2030.
The campaign is linked to the National Democratic Alliance (NDA) government’s pledge to double farmers’ incomes by 2022. It was one of a raft of initiatives Modi launched on Wednesday which included the National Artificial Insemination Programme, ‘Swachhta Hee Seva’ {sanitation is service} to phase out single-use plastic, and the Startup Grand Challenge aimed at encouraging young entrepreneurs. “Sights that made me very sad,” Modi wrote on a Twitter post. “At the Pashu Arogya Mela {animal health fair} in Mathura, saw cows being operated and heaps of plastic being removed from their bodies. this is deplorable and should inspire us to work towards reduced and careful plastic usage.”
Modi, who began his visit to Mathura with gau puja (cow worship) and used the occasion to push the theme of “waste to wealth,” said his government was trying to maintain a balance between nature and economic development. Greeting the audience in Mathura, the PM said: “The Brajbhoomi has always been inspiring the entire world and humanity. “