THE ISCOWP
NEWS Volume 11 Issue
1 2001
Partners in Work
In the last few months the news media has presented the news
of bovine diseases threatening human health and the economic welfare of farmers,
especially in Britain, who prosper by the sale of beef. There was even an
article in one large USA newspaper blaming the cows for the situation. However,
a careful observer can notice that in all these cases the cows are being
exploited, not protected. The common attitude in present day agriculture is to
glean as much economic profit from the cow with the least amount of
compassionate care. The results of the practices that evolve from this approach
are now just bearing their fruits in human disease and enormous economic
loss.
There is no Cow Protection Without Ox
Power
There are spiritual benefits from cow protection as well as
material benefits. The cow produces milk, a miracle food when given by a healthy
protected cow, its urine and manure are medicinal for humans and the land and
the ox produces food grains.
Inside This Issue
Letters
Cow Manure In Your Garden,
New Calf
ISCOWP Update
Additional land,
New Vrndavana Temple Ox Department,
Additional Teamsters,
Barn Roof, Cow Path
Cow Exploitation
MAD-COW DISEASE,
FOOT and MOUTH DISEASE
COW - THERAPY
India Carriers Inc
IMCA UPDATE
ISCOWP News Details in non-editorial articles
do not necessarily represent the viewpoint of the editors.
Letters
Cow Manure In Your
Garden
From: "Samba (das) SDG (Mauritius)" Samba.SDG@pamho.net
To:Agriculture.and.the.Environment@pamho.net
; Cow@pamho.net ; Practical.Varnasrama@pamho.net
Subject:
Manure Tea
Date: Thursday, June 22, 2000 7:00 AM
Our plantation is starting to take some shape, and we are
at the stage where I think we need to start feeding the crops in mid-term.
Today we made some manure tea using 4 generous shovels full of well composted
cow dung/sugarcane leaf compost, to 80 litters of water.
This was an arbitrary mix that yielded a thick dark brown
tea which was readily pourable through a watering can with sprinkler
attachment.
What I would like to know is, if there are any accepted
formulas for feeding various crops using such tea, or other liquids? How much
to dilute what substance, and how often to irrigate with it?
Our potatoes have stopped growing or at least slowed down,
and we are about a month from harvest. Some hedgehogs had been rummaging in
the beds, and exposed some potatoes which appear to be about 1 1/2 inches long
and an inch wide. My brother in law has been growing the same spuds on his
field with chemicals and they grew to about 8 inches long, by 3 inches. I find
it hard to believe that ours will get that big in the time left, so I figured
they need feeding, and hence the tea. I sprinkled a lot on the leaves, too, as
I understand that foliage intake is also good.
We have Bananas and the fact sheet from the ministry
recommends several feeding intervals in the year with varieties if chemicals,
which of course we ain't having nothing to do with! So the only recourse we
have I think is manure tea. We are also about to plant passion fruit (I was
worried by the effect such planting might have on my consciousness, till I
realized I am still pretty much in the modes anyway!) And they also recommend
a strict regimen of chemicals. There being no extension services in the
country, where I can get advice on the organic alternatives, I am at a bit of
a loss as to where I can find out how to grow these crops organically in this
climate.
Any tips from the learned assembly?
Rodale's organic encyclopedia has been suggested, but I
fear that it may well be oriented to Northern climes, whereas we need info for
growing semi tropical crops in frost free, yet low temperature (10 Celsius [F
52] at night) winter climes.
Samba das
From: DGilsen@aol.com
To:Samba.SDG@pamho.net ; Agriculture.and.the.Environment@pamho.net
; Cow@pamho.net ; Practical.Varnasrama@pamho.net
Subject:
Re: Manure Tea
Date: Friday, June 23, 2000 8:30 PM
Samba old boy, long time no hear,
Manure tea is great
stuff at least here out in the dry desert. If your manure is well rotted it
"generally " has never damaged my crops. My rule of thumb for my climate is if
the plants are heavy feeders I feed once a week with 20 liters of water and
three liters of dry poop. Let soak in for a night and pour it on in the
morning. I put my manure in a a ladies stocking and hang in the water. I use
the same "tea bag" for about five to ten uses. The then "spent " manure is
unceremoniously dumped on the most needy plant in the area where it still does
some good. I then make up a fresh batch. As the tea gets weaker with use I use
it on plants that have a low need like orchards, any way it works for me. I
hope this helps. Say are your potatoes getting lots of water? When I scrimped
on the water my potatoes turned up small also.
Carol
From: gourdmad@ovnet.com
To:Agriculture.and.the.Environment@pamho.net
; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: Volume
of compost
Date: Monday, October 16, 2000 6:50 AM
> half an inch per acre = 5 tons/ acre
> 2 inches
thick = 20 tons/acre
> or 8-10 inches = 100 tons/acre
If the compost is primarily cow manure and applied at
rates above 20 tons per acre, in many soil types if you are not cropping
heavily you can run the risk of building up too much available potassium in
the soil.
In WV, applying more than 30 tons of cow manure (not
composted) for several years and only taking the ear corn and not the whole
plant for silage, adverse levels of potassium can build up. These soils are
clay soils already with naturally occurring potassium. Just something to think
about.
Madhava Gosh, New Vrndavana, WV, USA
From: gourdmad@ovnet.com
To:Agriculture.and.the.Environment@pamho.net
; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: Volume
of compost
Date: Thursday, October 19, 2000 1:20 PM
>"Syamasundara (das) (Bhaktivedanta >Manor - UK)"
wrote:
> My understanding is that 10 tons of >farm yard manure is a
rough average >per acre for vegetables, grass or grain. >Potatoes would
be very happy with 20 >tons of manure per acre.>
10 tons per acre of manure will acidify soil, 20 tons be
neutral and 30 tons raise pH. Fresh manure applied to potatoes can cause
scab.
Madhava Gosh, New Vrndavana, WV, USA
From: Radha.Krsna.ACBSP.GB@pamho.net
To:
gourdmad@ovnet.com ; Agriculture.and.the.Environment@pamho.net
; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: Volume
of compost
Date: Wednesday, March 14, 2001 8:49 AM
>My understanding is that 10 tons of >Farm yard
manure is a rough aver >age per acre for vegetables, grass or >grain.
Potatoes would be very >happy with 20 tons of manure per
>acre.
>ys syam
Madhava Gosh das wrote:
>Fresh manure applied to
potatoes can >cause scab.
That's probably why we have got it at Bhaktivedanta Manor.
- We have also had tomato failure in the polytunnel this year (no compost
applied)
My understanding comes from the great agronomist,
botanist, mycologist, economist and director of the institute of plant
industry, Indore and the chief agricultural advisor to the central states of
India and Rajputana - who was knighted for his work - Sir Albert Howard. [also
cause of the formation of the Soil Association in Great Britain (and
subsequently the world) which was formed by Lady Eve Balfour and Friend Sykes
who were both eminent authors in the same school as Howard. There were nine
editions of the work The Living Soil.]
He (Howard) stated that in 40 B.C. Varro drew attention to
the great importance of the complete decay of manure before it was applied to
the land. To bring this about, the manure heap, during the period of storage,
had to be kept in the right conditions....In A.D. 90 Columella emphasized the
importance of constructing pits (in which the farmyard manure was stored) in
such a manner that drying out was impossible.
Comment by Radha Krsna das. This pit system was to
preserve moisture (in hot climates). In the UK and similar climates the right
conditions are also necessary I.E., the reverse conditions. The heaps have to
be kept dry enough etc.etc.
This is not done in the European farming system and is a
mistake. There is complete imbalance in the manure heaps of the west for the
following reasons:
1. too much moisture
2. too little air
3. no
consideration to carbon nitrogen balance.
4. the lack of management, which
is mentioned in an article by Radha Krsna
das to the current Soil
Association magazine entitled 'Organic Farming'
(December,
1999).
Therefore you have a vastly inferior end product/resulting
in scab, blight, eel worm, wire worm, mildew, lodging etc. you name
it.
Columella went on to say: that there is a need to turn
this material in summer to facilitate decay, and suggested that ripened manure
should always be used for corn, while the fresh material could safely be
applied to grass land. The Romans, therefore, not only understood the
importance of organic matter in crop production but had gone a long way
towards mastering the principle that, to obtain the best results, it is
necessary to arrange for the decay of farmyard manure (FYM) before it is
applied to arable land. It is interesting to turn from the writings of the
ancients to the account of the symposium of 'Soil Organic Matter and Green
Manuring' arranged by the American Society of Agronomy at Washington D.C. on
the 22nd November 1928, the main results of which appeared in the journal of
the American Society of Agronomy of October 1929. Without exception, the
investigators who took part in this conference laid the greatest emphasis on
the importance of keeping up the supply of organic matter in the soil, and on
discovering the most effective and most economical method of doing this under
various conditions, as regards moisture, which the soils of the United States
present.
During the 2,000 years which have elapsed since Varro
wrote in 40 B.C. and the American investigators met in 1928, there has
occurred only one brief period in which the role of organic matter was to some
extent forgotten. This took place after LEIBIG'S 'Chemistry in it's
Application to to Agriculture and Physiology' first appeared in 1840. In which
he suggested that organic matter (in the right condition) was of little
consequence and that due to his discovery of the true origin of the carbon of
plants..and that of the Rothamstead experiment station (at Harpenden,UK) views
have since been held by the majority of agricultural chemists that all that
matters in obtaining maximum yields is the addition of so many pounds of
nitrogen, phosphorous and potassium to the acre (NPK). The great development
of the artificial manure industry has followed as a matter of
course.
May I suggest that you, Syamasundar prabhu, while not
taking the advice of the modern agricultural chemists in applying artificial
manure, you are however, following somewhat knowingly or unknowingly, in the
wake of the line of the Leibig school, and not adhering to the advice of the
ancients and more recently the expertise of the more modern day organic
farming authors, who founded the Soil Association; a member of which you are
seeking to become.
Howard said in (1930) that properly made compost was 4
times more valuable than Farm Yard Manure. (This I consider, today, to be an
understatement, for the discovery of the health/immunity issue from food
derived from compost, or properly fertile soil, and the retail potential was
not written about until much later.)
In today's terms (2000) properly made compost or growing
media is worth £400 a ton (retail) and FYM about? £10.00 per ton wholesale. It
is not sold retail. This figure may vary from farmer to farmer but in Kingls
Langley, U.K. it's this price. The whole of the soil association was
consequently formed and changes were to be effected.
How can a "farmer" ignore these facts when they are
presented to him..with
the results that have been published as well. The
answer may take pages.
Radha Krsna das, Great Britain
Back to index of this
issue
New Calf
Vraja and Gita greeting a young team during their logging training
lesson.
From: "Indriyesa (das) SS (NJNK - D)" Indriyesa.SS@pamho.net
To: Cow@pamho.net
Subject: new
calf
Date: Friday, December 15, 2000 6:09 PM
Dear members of the cow-conf.,
- Here at Nrsimha Ksetra
in the Bavarian Forest/Germany we have 6 cows and 4 oxen, all quite old, I
think the youngest cow is about 9 or 10 years old. None of them ever had a
calf (!!). Since years the milk necessary on the project was bought from the
neighboring farmer, which is of course a ridiculous situation. Since things
are getting quite good here now we think that we can take the responsibility
to have a new calf in the barn. Now my questions are:
- There are two possible candidates among our cows, they
are 9 and 11 (or 12). They both NEVER had a calf. Are their age and the fact
that it would be the first pregnancy a problem/risk? And if yes (which I
guess), are there some suggestions, what to do about it?
- The race of these cows is "Deutsches Braunvieh". Is it
possible to crossbreed with smaller, more resistant races, or will something
strange come out then? There is one nice German race that I have in mind, the
name is "Hinterwaelder". They are used to cold weather (which we have here)
and quite disease resistant. Actually I think the most important point is to
have a cow which gives milk for a very long time after having a calf (say at
least 2 1/2 years). Are there races known for that quality?
-Last one for now: Is it very important at which time the
calf comes?Thank you very much for helping,
Indriyesa das,
Germany
From: "billy bob buckwheat" d_4h@hotmail.com
To: Indriyesa.SS@pamho.net ; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: new
calf
Date: Monday, December 18, 2000 11:20 PM
From what I've learned, but might not be a cut and dry
rule of nature, is that breeding a cow, which has never given birth after a
certain amount of years (maybe based different for particular breeds) will
have trouble, or abort.
Reason: Their hips grow a certain way after so many years
and makes birthing unfavorable. Say around 7 years and then going up more of a
risk year by year. Say 11 or 12 most would say forget it... But!.. you never
know, with Krsna being God.
Just please remember; Its the care for the cows and
engagement of the oxen that makes the success of a project.
Now a suggestion is to consider getting a heifer,or cow,
or springer from an ISKCON farm that's close to you that could supply such a
gift. If there is no such possibility then consider buying but try to stay
away from auction. Buy from a reputable farmer and its best if you can have
them -(potentials that you might buy) looked over thoroughly to see that they
are in good health along with the other cows in their herd.
My suggestion on what to get is only my opinion. I would
buy, if affordable, a Pedigree cow of solid breed with papers or a breed that
is not widely used as an industrial milk breed. The breeds like this are
manipulated genetically and usually are bred for milk production only and
cause other traits to go down the drain. For instance 'quality oxen' were once
a factor in the breeding process in the good old days.
Keeping a solid breed is not necessary but in my opinion
makes it easier because you know what you got, especially as far as
temperament. Many breeds birth at different times also (days to birthing).
With a pedigree cow you know your getting a healthy cow that if bred with a
similar bull will give you a similar birth and are much less likely to have
the many problems as one from an auction house. Many diseases come from just
the way the cows are kept.
If you do buy or get from another ISKCON farm, make sure
you quarantine them or her for at least 6 weeks to work out any diseases or
foot problems they might carry as to not spread them to the existing
herd.
I don't know about the breeds your speaking, but I know
the breed we have here are, in my opinion, the best to have as far as good
milk production, butter fat, and good temperament, and make great oxen. This
is none other than the Brown Swiss, which I'm pretty sure, you could access.
One thing to check out though is how they've been bred, for milk or all
quality traits. Europe and the US have long exploited the breeds for milk but
there are still some places that have kept the good line of cow breeding. A
Brown Swiss cow will supply you with plenty of good milk provided she is
getting sufficient grains, grasses, salt, and most of all love.
If you keep milking timely, she will keep supplying milk.
The amount may change with season and age but milk will come. We have a mother
cow here that has been giving milk for 8 years without giving birth but once
in the 8 year period. She is about 16 years old now. She gives at least 2
gallons a day to Radha Damodara.
2.5 years is nothing, most dairy farmers go at least 3-4
years watching production of course.
Bhakta Derek, Gita Nagari, PA,
USA
From: gourdmad@ovnet.com
To: d_4h@hotmail.com ; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: new
calf
Date: Tuesday, December 19, 2000 8:49 AM
One thing to consider is if looking for another breed
anyway, if the sire is of a breed smaller than the cow being bred, that makes
for an easier birth.
Madhava Gosh, New Vrndavana, WV,
USA
From: d_4h@hotmail.com
To: gourdmad@ovnet.com ; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: new
calf
Date: Wednesday, December 20, 2000 8:40 PM
If you had a woman who needed a C-section because her hips
were too small to give birth properly, which does happen. If she was
impregnated by a midget or a race slightly smaller it wouldn't make her
birthing any easier, of course I'm just using my imagination and I'm no
authority like I explained previously. From what I understood the hip section
grows in a way that is unfavorable to any birth.
Bhakta Derek, Gita Nagari,
USA
From: gourdmad@ovnet.com
To: d_4h@hotmail.com ; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: new
calf
Date: Friday, December 22, 2000 12:20 AM
Most cattleman take birthing into consideration when cross
breeding. If you breed a larger sire into a smaller breed, you know that
birthing has to be watched closer as there will be more difficult births, and
a smaller breed makes for easier births.
Madhava Gosh, New Vrndavana, WV,
USA
From: d_4h@hotmail.com
To: gourdmad@ovnet.com ; Cow@pamho.net
Subject: Re: new
calf
Date: Friday, December 22, 2000 8:20 PM
Yes Prabhu,
This is correct but with the situation at
hand, it has nothing to do with breeding cows that have been on a normal
breeding schedule. These are cows which have not given birth for 11 -12 years.
(55-60 cow years).
" Cattle men" from what I understand is a term used for
farmers whom use their herds primarily for meat production. Dairy farmers or
cattlemen never have cows that exist in their herds for 11 -12 years without
giving birth... their cows are refreshened every year. Neither, ever have any
cows that exist for 11 -12 years.
This is a special situation where the cows are protected
and some times remain idle from birthing sometimes their whole lives. This is
the problem for the calving. Other situation could be a show cow.
Here on our farm we had 26 (female) cows which only 1 was
in the recommendable area. Not because of her age but because she had recently
in the past 3 years had given birth. I was trying to use our own cows because
many devotees some 25 years ago went through allot of trouble hand picking
around the East coast to collect a herd of cows that were of very high
standard. This is the same family line with practically no health problems and
we went through allot of research trying to find a way to not have to purchase
more cows. BUT, to make a long story short, we did have to. Now we have 28
girls. There are many other questions at hand other than just the hips, like
does the cow still go in heat, and the organs of a cow which is 12 years old
are 12 years old. They run risk of many, many more problems. Do the cows have
any health problems as of now? What is the over all stature of the cow. You
have to be a person who knows a little about cows and calving and then be able
to look over the cow which is the subject of birthing (which is in Germany)
and then make a decision from that perspective.
"Don't breed the old ladies and buy another cow, springer
or heifer."
Bhakta Derek, Gita Nagari, USA
Back to index of this
issue
ISCOWP Update
Additional land
We
acquired 28 acres across the road from our present land holdings. We have 15
acres originally located arose the road. The road is just a country lane with
little traffic. The acreage is woods, but years back it had been pasture. We
have had it logged with the intent to create pasture once again. Many trees are
still left and we plan to use the area for teaching teamsters logging. Logging
by oxen requires ability and once you have mastered it, you have a good
foundation for other activities with the oxen.
This area also has 2 very strong springs. It is hilly and at
the bottom there is a very strong stream with waterfalls. It will take clearing
and fencing to make the land available to the cows - a long term project. Our
land holdings are now 165 acres.
Beginning of snow storm at Vrajapura Farm where the cows need
a roof for shelter from the snow, rain and sleet.
New
Vrndavana Temple Ox Department
In cooperation with the New Vrndavana
Temple, Balabhadra will be training devotees at the temple and interested
community devotees to work with oxen.
Ox program meeting minutes
23/3/01
Srila Prabhupada always wanted the ox program at N.V. to be
developed. Cow protection is not complete unless the oxen are being
worked.
We would like to bring Jaya and Nanda (presently at
Vrajapura Farm) to the main complex. They could pull a cart, lead processions,
plow etc. First teamsters have to be trained. Facilities also need to be
adequate. A new barn needs to be built. Varshana Swami has the materials and
will look for a good site, but needs help on the construction. The field by the
water tank is available for grazing, but is not sufficient and currently has no
water. Tejo has offered to bring water. Fencing also has to be addressed. There
is an existing structure that would be suitable for feed and tack.
A culture of ox power agriculture needs to be developed at
N.V. to sustain an ox program in the long term. One of the best ways to start is
to make sure the oxen are visible and accessible to community members and
guests.
Balabhadra das is available to train teamsters. He will make
himself available in a leadership capacity as well. Training will be by
relationship and voice commands, no nose rings. Dhrstadyumna das and Yudhisthira
das will get together with Balabhadra das to arrange for training
sessions.
Yudhisthira das feels strongly about the ox program and will
commit whatever time and energy possible. Dhrstadyumna das will train with Brsam
at the dairy barn, and Yudhisthira das will train at Vrajapura Farm.
Additional
Teamsters
Gauranga Prema das from Pretoria, South Africa will be
coming this summer to train with Balabhadra. They have cows there but no
knowledge of cow care and ox power. A new property is being purchased with the
intent to create a nice facility for the cows and to develop a rural community.
Balabhadra's policy is to trade training for labor on Vrajapura Farm.
Barn Roof, Cow
Path
As you can see by the photo on this page the expanded cemented
barn yard needs a roof to protect the cows during the winter. This last winter
was the first traditional one, weather wise, that we have had in a few years. We
were lucky in the last years to have mild winters. Otherwise we would have been
hard pressed to care for the cows with the facilities we had. Now, due to the
generosity of you, our members, we were able to cement much of the barnyard to
expand the facility and to prevent excess mud for the comfort of the cows. This
year we would like to put a roof on the poles cemented in the yard and siding.
This way all the herd could fit under cover. The old barn fits half the herd, 14
cows, the new area can fit the other half.
If we could also cement some remaining areas where the mud
is deep, like the cow path to the barn, it would greatly increase the cows'
comfort. We will be contacting all our members when we figure the exact cost.
But if you would like to make a donation now, please do with the enclosed
envelope.
Back to index of this
issue
Cow
Exploitation:
Horrific results for Humans
MAD-COW
DISEASE,
"Cannibals to Cows: The Path of a Deadly
Disease"
Geoffrey Cowley (excerpts)
Newsweek, March 12, 2001
Mad-Cow
Disease or bovine spongiform enciphalopathy (BSE) has killed nearly 200,000
British and European cattle since it cropped up in 1984 in the British
countryside at Pittsham Farm in South Downs. The human variant has claimed 94
lives as well. The frightening part is that this is only the beginning of the
spread of this human variant. For 11 years after the Pittsham Farm episode,
British exporters shipped the remains of BSE-infected cows all over the world,
as cattle feed. The potentially tainted gruel reached more than 80 countries.
And millions of people-not only in Europe but throughout Russia and Southeast
Asia-have eaten cattle that were raised on it. American officials banned British
cattle feed in 1988, as soon as scientists implicated it in BSE, and later
barred the recycling of domestic cows as well. However, American safeguards and
surveillance efforts are far weaker than most people realize.
In 1993, the brains of British citizens who had died of what
seemed to be CJD, Creutzfield-Jakob disease, were examined and showed to have
the same abnormalities as the brains of cows who had died of BSE. In 1996,
Britain's Health Secretary Stephen Dorrell went before Parliament to announce
that BSE had spawned a new human disease: a variant of CJD, or vCJD. The
characteristics of CJD in humans are in the beginning; depression and memory
problems, in 4 to 6 months: dementia, uncontrollable jerking of muscles and
finally death.
FOOT and MOUTH
DISEASE
The Independent (London) March 4, 2001, Sunday:
"The
Plague That Never Was:
Foot and Mouth Should Not Be a Crisis. We Have All
Been Misled By The Men From The Ministry"
Geoffrey Lean
"As funeral pyres
light up the night sky and barriers go up all over Britain's broad acres -
farming and the countryside face their biggest crisis, and their greatest
opportunity, since the Second World War. Yet - despite the draconian measures -
foot and mouth is a mild disease, from which animals recover naturally and
quickly. It has only been turned into a disaster by the heedless intensification
of agriculture over the past 50 years. By yesterday, 51 herds had caught the
disease - after the largest rise in cases in a single day - and 45,000 cows,
sheep and pigs had been slaughtered to try to stop it spreading. And Britain had
a Keep Out countryside. Every footpath in every national park is closed, as are
all but 20 of the National Trust's properties, and all two-and-a-half million
acres of the Forestry Commission's land
The disease's escalating effects, the draconian control
measures and the unanimously somber tone of commentators, all suggest that the
country must be facing a devastating killer plague. But we aren't. Foot and
mouth disease only very rarely affects people, and even then only raises a
slight temperature and a few blisters It doesn't even kill animals. As the
Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food (MAFF) itself admits, the sheep,
pigs and cows being slaughtered and burned would shake it off in two or three
weeks if they were allowed to live. Vets say that it is no more serious for
animals than a bad cold for humans. Instead, it is an economic
disease.
When animals are sick they produce less milk, and put on
less meat. MAFF asserts that cows also milk less well when they recover, though
late last week could produce no scientific evidence to prove it. Yet MAFF
steadfastly refuses to countenance any relaxation of its zero tolerance policy.
This contrasts sharply with the enormous tolerance it showed BSE, allowing
hundreds of thousands of diseased animals into the food chain and permitting
controls - when introduced - to be poorly enforced and widely flouted. Yet BSE
really is a terrifying plague which has killed 80 people, slowly and
horrifically, and will do the same to thousands, maybe hundreds of thousands,
more over coming decades. MAFF's reaction to the two diseases shows where its
priorities lie. It cares little for human health. It is not even particularly
bothered about sick animals. What gets it exercised, and spurs it to emergency
action, is a threat to the profitability of agribusiness.
In a sane world, the economic losses caused by this mild
disease would not matter much: farmers would accept and adjust to them, as to
the fluctuations of their harvests.
But the crazy over intensification of agriculture, with
margins pared to the bone to produce cheap food against foreign competition,
means it simply cannot afford them.
Britain pioneered the intensification on this side of the
Atlantic. No European country has pursued it so relentlessly, or has so
ruthlessly driven small farmers to the wall to benefit richer ones: more than
330,000 farms two -thirds of the total - have been forced out of business since
1945. Abigail Woods - a vet who is researching the history of foot and mouth at
Manchester University, financed by the Welcome Trust - adds that it was Britain,
too, that pioneered the zero tolerance policy to foot and mouth, originally to
protect a few wealthy stockbreeders, and was the first country to ban imports
from countries with the disease. Now, hoist with its own petard, MAFF has no
alternative but to continue the slaughter to stop British meat being excluded
from export markets that have followed our lead. Intensification may not be to
blame for the outbreak of the disease, but it has turned it into a crisis
affecting the highest in the land. All this may be providing a catalyst for
change. Tony Blair has called fo a national debate on the future of agriculture.
Ministers accept that policies of the past decades have failed and are
cautiously moving towards a radical shift - from intensifying agriculture to
preserving the environment as the basis of sound farming."
March 14, 2001, N.Y. Times
"Meat From Europe is Banned by
U.S. as Illness Spreads"
By Christopher Marquis and Donald G.McNeil Jr.
(excerpts)
The United States banned imports of animals and animal products
from the European Union today after learning that foot-and-mouth disease had
spread to France from Britain. The Agriculture Department said it was taking the
precaution to protect the domestic industry from a possible outbreak of the
virus, which could cost the American industry billions of dollars in just one
year. A spokesman for the European Commission in Washington, Gerry Kiely, said
the ban would cost European exporters as much as $458 million a year in sales.
The agriculture department put the cost at $400 million at most.
March 23, 2001 NY Times
"Containing Foot-and-Mouth
Disease" (excerpts)
Foot-and-mouth disease has spread from Britain, where it
appeared in mid-February, to several farms in France and now to Ireland and the
Netherlands, where it was detected in a few cows and a herd of goats. The total
number of cases is not large - about 500 - but the effort to prevent any further
spread of this virulently contagious disease has brought the movement of
livestock in parts of the European Union to a halt. It has also led to the
slaughter of a quarter-million animals.
Editor's Note:
The mass slaughter of cows and sheep
worldwide due to Mad Cow and Foot and Mouth diseases is quite tragic. Many
health-minded people are becoming vegetarians as a result. Many farmers may now
become fruit and vegetable farmers, since they're losing billions of dollars
from their animals being killed.
By the time this report reaches our readers there will have
been more developments. But, irregardless of the proposed material reasons, the
question remains why do so many cows have to die and why so horrifically? What
will be the outcome of such an act?
Çrémad?Bhägavatam
Çrémad?Bhägavatam
SB
1.16.20
PURPORT:
When three fourths of the population of the whole world
become irreligious, the situation is converted into hell for the
animals.
Çrémad?Bhägavatam
SB 1.17.3
PURPORT:
People do not
know what they are doing in the name of economic development.
Çrémad?Bhägavatam
SB 8.8.11
PURPORT:
Unfortunately,
because people in Kali?yuga are mandäù, all bad, and sumanda?matayaù, misled by
false conceptions of life, they are killing cows in the thousands. Therefore
they are unfortunate in spiritual consciousness, and nature disturbs them in so
many ways, especially through incurable diseases like cancer and through
frequent wars and among nations. As long as human society continues to allow
cows to be regularly killed in slaughterhouses, there cannot be any question of
peace and prosperity.
Çrémad?Bhägavatam
SB 4.26.5
PURPORT:
In this age of
Kali the propensity for mercy is almost nil. Consequently there is always
fighting and wars between men and nations. Men do not understand that because
they unrestrictedly kill so many animals, they also must be slaughtered like
animals in big wars. This is very much evident in the Western countries. In the
West, slaughterhouses are maintained without restriction, and therefore every
fifth or tenth year there is a big war in which countless people are slaughtered
even more cruelly than the animals.
Back to index of this
issue
COW -
THERAPY
A GLIMPSE
Excerpts from A Paper Presented on
Cow Therapy in the International Congress on Alternate Medicines held at Lala
Lajpatra COLLEGE, MUMBAI (INDIA) on 15th and 17th March, 1996
In the history of man there have been many remedial
medicines and treatments. They have come into existence at different times and
at different places. The first and the foremost known Therapy/systems is that of
COWS and its' progeny including bulls and oxen. COWS PANCH GAVYA i.e.MILK, CURD,
GHEE, GOMUTRA, GOBAR have many curative natural qualities for innumerable
diseases.
The COW Therapy is holistically mentioned in the Vedas which
are the oldest written scriptures of the world. If the COW THERAPY system is not
reintroduced and adopted in the hospitals today it will cost very dear to the
whole of the nation in the near future. The System deals with the burning issues
of health and environment and offers complete solution. The Governments Central
and States should therefore act quickly on the substance to save the COW PROGENY
and vigorously propagate the Cow Therapy.
Our forefathers in their first and foremost quest to conquer
diseases have identified and established thousands of years back the treatments
through COWS vis-à-vis PANCH GAVYA. Their yields, derivatives have the proven
capabilities of curing all diseases, maintaining the pollution free environment
and keeping health hazards away. There is a track record where this holy COW was
included for all good activities and without the reference of COW no function
and ceremony was ever performed. It was given THE STATUS OF MOTHER. In fact it
is a moving hospital, a treasure of medicines, a complete nourishing diet
supplier through milk. It is a manure producing factory for organic farming and
environment/air purifier. It releases oxygen in terms of money, during its' life
span one cow alone gives hundreds of thousands of rupees worth oxygen and other
curative qualities and disease resisting elements to the man kind.
We get five main items PANCH-GAVYA from Cows in the form of
MILK, CURD, GHEE, GOMUTRA (Urine) and GOBAR (Dung) apart from Cream, Butter and
Curd milk. All these items carry independently and collectively remedial values
when consumed or applied externally or sprayed in the environment. They are
prominently capable to cure and provide permanent relief. There is plenty of
traditional literature available on COWS HEALING and REMEDIAL contribution to
the society. What we have acquired from the Ayurvedic treasure trove in
traditional inheritance is a science.I am citing in brief the properties and a
few formulas to keep you fit.
GOMUTRA (Urine) singularly has got all such chemical
properties, potentialities and constituents that are capable of removing all the
ill effects, imbalances in the body. It acts as an Antidote to poisonous effects
inside the body or produce. It is antiseptic, disinfectant, cures toxic effects
and called SANJIVANI in Ayurveda. It is a powerful pesticide.
GOBAR (Dung) It
has got all such properties that keeps the environment free from pollution, does
not allow any radiation effect. It is a germicide having remarkable wound
healing properties and repellent to insects. All skin diseases can be cured by
its application.
MILK : Consuming hot milk with one tea spoon GHEE in the
night before sleep keeps you fit and energetic. The diseases below the collar
bone will disappear and would not occur. It is full of vitamins. In the early
stage of fever, milk is contra indicated but if the fever prolongs milk is
definitely advised and strongly recommended. It is the only suitable diet
constituents for the mammalian from birth to old age. It is easily assimilated
in the body.
DAHI CURD :YOGHURT : prepared in silver utensil and given to
pregnant ladies starting from the initial months prevents (a) miscarriages, (b)
premature delivery, (c) any complication before and during deliveries, (d) does
not allow deformed and mentally retarded births/babies and the delivery would be
always normal and natural. Disease by birth will not be there. Newly born babies
will always be healthy and mothers would be getting sufficient natural flow of
milk to feed the babies. For young women who have yet to start or complete their
families should take a special note of it. Curd and buttermilk are good
appetizer and keeps your digestive system normal.
GHEE is defined and considered as Amrit (nectar). It is full
of PRAN(0) VAYU (Oxygen). It is a major and rich source of nutrients and energy
for the tissues of the Body. COW GHEE had been recommended as a 100% cure for
many diseases and abnormalities when applied and put in the nostrils. This is
known as NASHYAM OR NASHYA KRIYA. Ghee melts with the body-heat and travels
through the nostril membranes.
BRAIN AND HEART: The use of Cow Ghee in the nostrils will in
the first place keep your brain cells lubricated, energized and full of oxygen
consequently your temperament will be cool and passive. Aggravated situations
will not occur in your mind and body. Thus use of Cow Ghee is a cover for
your
AIR PASSAGE OR BREATHING PROBLEMS. A few drops of Indian cow ghee in the
nostril thrice a day for about two months in the morning, afternoon and before
sleeping in the night is a single remedy to remove all obstacles of air passage
and many chronic diseases. Nostril membranes have direct access to brain cells
and the blood in the body. It lubricates the cells through master glands like
PINEAL, PITUITARY and cure all deformities like dryness, swelling, coagulation
and hemorrhage. Disease of cold, sinus infections or nasal polyps by narrowing
the openings of the air ways, by making the pharyngeal valves loose and flaccid
obstructing the breathing through nose disappears.
SLEEP DISORDERS :.For those not getting sleep Cow Ghee
application in the nostrils will improve the quality of sleep. The brain will
release sleep inducing hormones and shall maintain the critical four hour core
period of sleep containing 90 minutes deep and light sleep cycle, that every one
needs for normal functioning. Over stressed people get more relaxation.
Similarly hormonal changes do effect sleep amongst menopausal women often
experiencing sleeping problems get relaxation.
Cow Ghee properly monitors
oxygen levels and cures the sleep related disorders like (1) Insomnia (inability
to sleep) (2) sleep Apnea (loss of breath) (3) Narcolepsy (excessive sleep) (4)
Parasomnia (movement disorders during sleep) and restless leg Syndrome (Funny
sensation in the legs). Sleep is an active part of our life.
HAIR PROBLEM : Cow Ghee in the nostrils not only prevents
falling of the hair but there is a further precious news that after the use for
4 to 6 months it stops hair loss.
FATS: Fats are essential constituents
of our diet. Most of our dietary fats come from edible oils, vanaspati and GHEE.
COW GHEE does not carry the fats as are either defined or interrupted by the
western scientists. Some type of fats increase cholesterol levels and others
bring it down. Cow Ghee is one such element which brings the cholesterol down or
keeps it under the limits. Fats have three components in varying proportions
depending upon their origins. Saturates, Monounsaturates MUFA and
polyunsaturates PUFA. Fats rich in saturates like coconut, palm, vanaspati and
other ghee are normally solid at room temperature. Cow Ghee remains melt at room
temperature and therefore, it is always safe to eat. It acts as a stimulant
which is what contributes to the low level of Heart Diseases.
HOW TO APPLY GHEE :- Warm the Ghee by indirect heat. Take a
dropper, rest on back without pillow and apply 3 to 4 drops in each nostril and
rest for five minutes. At this stage and time apply in the Naval also. IMPORTANT
NOTE :- GAU GHRIT OR GHEE SHOULD ALWAYS BE PREPARED FROM CURD. BY CHURNING BOTH
WAYS AND NOT BY MIXER. TRADITIONAL HAND SYSTEM IN EARTHEN POT BRINGS DESIRED
PROPERTIES, RESULTS, TASTE, QUALITY AND REMEDIAL, ENERGETIC, LUBRICATING HEALING
CHARACTERISTICS. GHEE made out of or obtained from MILK CREAM and by mechanical
mixer or churner will not have adequate curative medicinal values and properties
hence would not be effective and not advised for nostril application or use.
Your exercises will be futile.
GOROCHAN: It is available from the
forehead of the COW PROGENY above 5/16 years of age. It is generated through the
horns biodynamics under the conditions when they die natural death. GOROCHAN has
marvelous curative properties of curing 100% incurable and fatal diseases. When
the COW PROGENY Is KILLED AND OR SLAUGHTERED the Ghostly act creates horror In
the mind of he animal during slaughtering. This inhumanly act automatically
stops the formation of precious GOROCHAN and it does not take place.
Consequently this rare item is brutally and foolishly lost. Further there is no
substitute for GOROCHAN either synthetic or from any other source.
It's very
important to note and know that the foreign breeds of cows which are not having
hump are merely living milking machines and are the cross breeds of pig progeny.
Resemblance and living habits certify the contention. Its' produce has no
disease resistance power and on the contrary carries hook worms and many
diseases. It is an eternal source of diseases. Its milk or other products should
always be avoided.
I offer my humble personal services to provide any further
information on COW PANCH GAVYA as I know and could explain at any time and to
any one who could be interested to know in details. Dr. GAURISHANKAR J.
MAHESHWARI, D.Sc., M.D. (M.A.), Ph.D., SAHITYARATNA, GOLD MEDALIST AHIMSHA
MAHASANGH, 76, Laxmi Palace, Mathuradas Road, Kandivali (West), Mumbai 400 067.
He has his own Cow Breed Improvement Farm at PARBATSAR in Rajasthan in the name
of his late mother as under
MATUSHRI BHANWARI DEVI JETHMAL RANDAR
GAU
SAMWARDHAN SANSTHAN
P0. PARBATSAR PIN 341512.
Dist. NAGAUR RAJASTHAN
(INDIA)
where
1) Patients of Heart and bypass surgery cases and many other
chronic disease were and are successfully treated/cured without any operation
with the said COW THERAPY. Use of COW PANCH GAVYA and organically grown produce
is always recommended You can get the potentized COW GHEE and a few other PANCH
GAVYA products, derivatives and preparations from the above Farm address or
contact the Author in Mumbai on phone Numbers:
(R) (022) 840 2268, 841
1583.
++91-22-887-1747-887-1800
Back to index of this
issue
India Carriers Inc
http://www.cseindia.org/html/dte/dte20000615/dte_life.htm
With
comments by Cow Conference Members
The Deoni breed of Latur district is a result of careful breeding of the Dangi breed of
Nasik with the Gir cattle of Gujarat.
From: Pancaratna.ACBSP@pamho.net
To:
Abhirama.ACBSP@
pamho.net; vrinda@aol.com;Cow@pamho.net
Subject: nice
article on India's oxen
Date: Wednesday, November 29, 2000 7:40 PM
The June 15 issue of Down To Earth, a science and
environment fortnightly, focused on draught animals. Very good articles to
support cow protection.
Pancaratna das, Mayapur, India
Beyond the cows-on-the-city-street cliché lies the pride of
India's cattle breeders. Sopan Joshi gets introduced to some of the world's most
outstanding draught cattle breeds
The gathering is a strange mix of cultures, a capsular
representation of India's cultural and biological diversity. It is January 26,
2000, and the National Livestock and Poultry Show is underway on the grounds
outside New Delhi's Pragati Maidan. It bears the mark of a typical government
event, reminding the urban Indian mind of the days when Doordarshan was the only
television channel and every evening meant 'Krishi Darshan', the dreadfully
boring program on agriculture. Announcers at the fair use stock phrases and
common lines out of cheap poetry.
Ongole (top) is one of world's oldest, tallest and hardiest
cattle breeds. Lord Shiva's bull Nandi is an Ongole
And then he appears. His cotton lungi rolled up to the
knees, a blue, tattered check shirt, bare feet and a white cloth tied around the
head, a sad excuse for a turban. He stops you, pointing to the brochure in your
hand. It is a handout from the animal husbandry department of Andhra Pradesh,
bearing a picture of a bull.
With shimmering eyes and white teeth that contrast with a
dark face, the man speaks something in Telugu. Then reason gets the better of
excitement. He resorts to a mixture of gestures and words that a north Indian
may comprehend. "Srinivasan Reddy," says he, with a hand beating his chest.
Okay, that's his name. "Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh," he utters, with a
hand pointing southwards, where home is. "Ongole," he points to the picture of
the bull, after having snatched the brochure. "Hamara" (ours), he concludes in
Hindi. And disappears in the din.
So, what's special about this Ongole? "It is the tallest,
hardiest cattle breed of the world, and has been around since the early days of
civilization," says Kethineni Venkateswarulu, a farmer from Guntur district of
Andhra Pradesh. How does he know? "The sculptures on the walls of ancient
temples show Ongole bulls," he explains. With pride breaking through the
innumerable wrinkles on his modest face, he tells you that Lord Shiva, the
mightiest Hindu god who is beyond time and space, rides an Ongole. Nandi? Yes,
the most famous bull of India, depicted in statues outside millions of temples
of Lord Shiva, is an Ongole. Now, how many Hindus know that?
The aerodynamic Khillar breed of Sholapur district in
Maharashtra is so fast that it is raced with horses.
And then the farmer shows his prize pair of bullocks. Both
are well over six feet (about two meters) in height. They can plough 6-7 acres
(2.5-2.8 hectares) of land in one day or pull a cart with four tons of load. Why
doesn't he use a tractor? "Only the rich farmers can afford tractors. Ongole
cattle need very little fodder if you consider their size." Another farmer who
owns prize Ongole bulls says a team of breeders from Brazil visiting the fair
offered Rs 2 lakh for each of his bulls. "They use this breed for beef because
it grows big so very fast, eats so little and has a lot of resistance to
disease. They buy off the best animals at fairs like this. But it is different
for us. These bulls help me earn my living," says Venkateswarulu.
If you think that only the poor take interest in animals,
think again. Meet Rajiv Khurana, second-generation cattle breeder and director
of the Indo Dairy Herd Improvement Center in Rohtak, Haryana, which he claims
was India's first bank for frozen bovine semen in the private sector. He has a
passion for the Sahiwal cattle breed and the Murrah breed of buffalo, both
native to Punjab. With all the looks of the urban rich, Khurana's sons Abhijeet,
9, and Yuvaraj, 7, wear jeans, Nike sneakers, snazzy pullovers and talk in
public school English. They take you to Raja, a huge Sahiwal bull, and explain
the nuances of animal care as if it is a math sum that they have solved. Khurana
says Sahiwal is one of the best milch breeds in the world, and the government
has done nothing to preserve it - on the contrary, its crossbreeding programs
have actually polluted the best Sahiwal strains in the country, he says. Animal
husbandry officials are wary of him and say that he is a clever businessman. He
buys any good animals that he spots and makes their semen available in his
bank.
Comment by Rohita d, New Talavan, Mississippi, USA:
There
is a research station near Puna (Maharastra) that has been using AI semen for
about the last thirty years, in the beginning they tried to upgrade (in their
eyes) the milking capabilities of the Indian breeds by taking the best adapted
(to the Indian climate) of animals of three major European breeds (Friesland,
Jersey and Brown Swiss) and breeding them to animals of the Gir, Kankrej and
Sahiwali. The results were not to promising as the animals of European ancestry
could only produce large amounts of milk with abundant high quality feed and
suffered from heat exhaustion and insects. So then they concentrated on
selecting the better producers of the native blood and now maintain large herds
in the surrounding country of those breeds.
In Rajkot in the Saurastra area of the State of Gujarat, the
Raj owns a large herd of Gir that has been kept pure for centuries and is the
basis for many pure bred Gir found not only in India but in Brazil and many
other countries of the world. He also owns a small herd of Kankrej (they come
from north of his realm on the edge of the deserts -Ran of Kutch) and a large
stable of horses of a highly refined type of Indian Arab that is similar to the
Lipizzan of Austria (they are a white riding horse and have been used by the Raj
to pull small carriages as well).
"The Deoni breed of Latur district is a result of careful
breeding of the Dangi breed of Nasik with the Gir cattle of Gujarat.
Meanwhile, Balasaheb Vikhe Patil, the Union minister of
state for finance and member of Parliament from Nasik in Maharashtra, has
arrived on a customary visit. The entire officialdom starts walking behind him
in obeisance. He addresses Manik Nivrati Yadav, a farmer from Hasegaonwadi
village in Ausa taluka of Latur district, Maharashtra. Yadav's huge bull, named
Raja, has a black head, while the rest of the body is white. This breed is
called Deoni.
Comment by Rohita das, New Talavan, Mississippi,
USA:
This is not the normal Deoni coloration, most are coloured like the
Dalmatian dogs, small spots with equal amounts of black and white over the whole
body. Normally the animals have black noses, horns and hoofs. This color was
specifically selected as the red Gir coloration is a dominant color. Only black
animals were kept in the breeding population, any animal with red coloration was
not kept. These animals still keep the mark that identifies an animal of Gir
ancestry, they possess a spot on their body where the color, though the same is
of a different shade. I have animals with this spot even though they are only
1/8 Gir (one great grandparent being Gir the other seven are of non-Gir
origin).
"But the minister is not interested in the animal. Speaking
in Marathi, he asks Yadav: "Aren't there tractors in your region? Do you still
want to own bullocks?" His hands folded in a servile gesture that has become
almost congenital in rural India after being handed down several generations,
Yadav replies: "We can't do without these animals, saheb, tractors or no
tractors."
After the minister leaves, Yadav quips: "Tractors don't give
milk, and they don't run on crop residue. Our area is hilly, and animals provide
traction in places where tractors can't even reach. Raja is a prize bull. He can
pull as much as two average bulls and his mother used to give 15 liter of milk
per day. Apart from the cash prizes he wins, a lot of farmers get their cows
mated with him. I earn Rs 50 per service. He may look big but he's never hurt a
soul. My little son, much too young to have a driver's license, can handle Raja.
Most of all, a tractor can never return the affection and loyalty that Raja
gives my family." Yadav spreads a sheet on the ground, pats Raja, and implores
him to sit. Raja obliges."
Comment by Rohita das, New Talavan, Mississippi, USA:
I
have one ox who when he was a bull would lie down, allow calves to crawl on him
and chew on his long ears. Bala is now kept with a big herd of about 80 animals,
when I walk into the field where they are kept he immediately comes searching
for attention. His half sister Usha, also of the same age and in the same field
wants so much to be petted that she will follow you everywhere attempting to get
her head, ears etc scratched. You can only escape her by leaving the field,
where she stands watching you until you are out of sight before she
leaves.
"As Yadav gets busy, B S Borgaonkar, a veterinarian and
breeder with the state animal husbandry department in Latur, explains the story
behind the Deoni breed, which has won the national cattle championship 17 times
over. "About 100 years ago, the Nizam of Hyderabad wanted a strong and hardy
cattle breed to haul his army. A facility was set up in Deoni village of what is
now Maharashtra. The Nizam's people got the choicest animals of the Gir breed of
Gujarat, known for its strength, and crossbred it with Dangi, a breed native to
Nasik that is known for being very hardy and possessing good stamina. Through
careful selection of the crossbred animals, a special breed was created and
named after the village of its development. It has all the good qualities of
both the breeds and none of the undesirable ones."
One may ask, are all native cattle breeds this versatile.
No. Some are extremely specialized. Take Khillar, for example, known as the
horse among cattle - a veritable sports breed. Khillar bulls are raced with
horses in parts of Sholapur district of Maharashtra. The breed is used for quick
transport and is not very good at hauling a lot of weight. It can be marked out
by its tall, slim build, and by its horns, which arch back to its neck and then
turn upwards. "The horns are shaped like the sword of Shivaji Maharaj," points
out Sukhdeo Ranganath Dhole of Pirachi Kuroli village in Pandarpur taluka,
Sholapur district, Maharashtra, drawing attention to the most revered figure of
the state.
"If you want to make out the pedigree of Khillar, check the space
between the two horns where they emerge from the head. It should not be wider
than two fingers," he clarifies. Pointing to his Khillar bull named Housha,
whose aerodynamic looks can surely put a scarlet Ferrari to shame, he lights up,
"He's real quick. He has won several races, reaping cash rewards of up to Rs
51,000. But he is a bit of a one-man animal and gets temperamental with others.
I take care of him mostly." There is a lemon pierced into the tip of each horn
to ward off the evil eye.
Dhole is reasonably well off, and can afford a tractor. So,
why take the trouble of keeping Housha? "Ours is the sugarcane belt. After the
crop grows up, we need to get inside the fields for several operations like
weeding. Tractors can't go in. Bullocks can. That's why the Khillar cattle
population in our region has been unaffected by tractors."
His close friend Ahmed Bagwan sits right next to him. The
owner of a truck business, Bagwan leaves behind his trade and drives the truck
himself when Housha goes for a competition. "You have to be careful while
driving so as not to hurt him. I never go over 40 km/hour. You won't find a
scratch on him." Dhole says Bagwan brings good luck. Sure enough, because Housha
has been declared the national champion this year. Bagwan picks up his dhol and
breaks into an enraptured dance.
According to the National Bureau of Animal Genetic
Resources, Karnal, there are 27 cattle breeds and eight buffalo breeds in India.
And then there are several breeds of other draught animals such as camels,
horses, donkeys, yak and mithun. There have to be thousands of such stories for
each breed.
COMMENT
From: "(Temple) Jaipur (India)"
<Jaipur@pamho.net>
To: talavan@fnbop.com
Cc:
Cow@pamho.net
Subject: India's oxen
Date: Thursday, March 29, 2001 1:10
AM
One of the breeds not mentioned in that very well done
article, was Rajasthan's Tharparkar, arguably the hardiest of all Indian
breeds.
In February 2000 myself and another devotee here attended
the All India Cattle Fair held here in Jaipur. The big white bull with the black
head featured in the article, a Deoni from Latur in Maharashtra, won first
prize
for being the finest bull.
The best milker from all the indigenous breeds of cows and
buffalo's was won by one of Chandan Farms Tharparkar cows. The competition
included Gir, Sahiwal, Red Sindhi, Rati, Nagauri etc. as well as
buffalo's.
For an Indian cow to compete alongside a buffalo is no mean
feat. Here in Jaipur we have a herd of Tharparkars, which were originally
purchased from Chandan Farm in Jaisalmer.
The Tharparkars are able to withstand both extreme heat as
well as cold, they rarely get sick and are one of the best draught animals
available.
Because of indiscriminate crossbreeding over the years, pure
strains of this animal are hard to come by. Folklore has it that the Tharparkars
are the last remaining remnants of Krishna's Kamadhenu cows. One look at them
will tell you why.
Anyone interested in more information can contact me at the
Jaipur temple.
Ramanuja das, Jaipur, India
Back to index of this
issue
IMCA
UPDATE
ISKCON Ministry for Cow Protection and
Agriculture
The International Society for Krsna Consciousness has
international centers that are providing lifetime protection to cows. Our
present count is 51 such centers. To our knowledge it is the only organization
that is rendering such protection on this scale. Due to the teachings of Srila
Prabhupada, cow protection and protection of animals in general, is considered
necessary for spiritual progress.
Our current efforts have been to bring together a census of
how many cows are being protected and to institute the Minimum Cow Protection
Standards written by an international group of respected cowherds. We are trying
to do this all by e-mail and in some cases the centers are remote and there is
no such communication. By the end of the year we should have some current
numbers.
Part of this effort is to have this ministry's cow report
forms filled out by cow protection facilities. This brings accountability and
census. The laws passed, noted on this page, represent our efforts this year to
bring accountability to ISKCON's centers of cow protection.
These centers can be a source of inspiration and knowledge
to anyone wishing to protect cows. Vegetarianism has entered into the mainstream
as an acceptable diet, even recommended often by doctors for good health. When
people stop eating animals, they become more aware of the animals themselves and
the natural inclination is to care for them. But it is a new concept to gather
this information together and for a unification of all ISKCON cow protection
centers. It will take time and we will persevere.
MINUTES OF THE ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING OF THE ISKCON GBC
SOCIETY
SRI DHAM MAYAPUR, FEBRUARY 7 -19, 2001
501. [ISKCON LAW] Mayapur
and Vrindavan Goshallas
Whereas:
- No proper quarterly reports have been
sent to the Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture from ISKCON Mayapur and
Vrindavan;
- GBC members are often overburdened with managerial
responsibilities;
- The GBC Body wishes to delegate responsibility to
responsible devotees; and,
- There must be a system of accountability for
ensuring that cows in ISKCON are properly protected.
Therefore it is resolved THAT: the following amendment be
made to ISKCON Law concerning the procedure for collecting cow reports and
sending them to the Ministry of Cow Protection and Agriculture:
ISKCON Law
507, Section 3, Standard 14 now reads:
"THAT the GBC meet quarterly (or
designate a monitor to meet for up to 3 of 4 quarters) with the project's
cowherd and submit a cow protection report to the Ministry of Cow Protection and
Agriculture."
ISKCON Law 507, Section 3, Standard 14 shall be amended to
read:
"THAT Temple Presidents are responsible to see that local Goshalla
Managers send quarterly reports to the Ministry of Cow Protection and
Agriculture. The local GBC Deputy/Deputies shall validate these reports by
either personally visiting or appointing an accountable and reliable
representative to do so."
502. [ACTION ORDER] Cow Protection in Mayapur and
Vrindavana
Whereas:
- ISKCON is dedicated to cow protection;
- The
Minister of Cow Protection has not received any quarterly report from the
Vrindavan goshalla, and has received one out of eight from the Mayapur goshalla,
in spite of repeated requests over the past 2 year period;
- It is alleged
that neither the Vrindavan goshalla nor the Mayapur goshalla have secured
sufficient land for the ever-increasing number of cows;
- The Ministry of Cow
Protection's quarterly reports are necessary to accurately assess Vrindavan and
Mayapur goshalla's standard of cow protection.
Therefore it is resolved THAT: Temple Presidents in
Vrndavana and the Chief Executive Officers in Mayapur shall be responsible to
see their local goshalla managers send quarterly reports to the Minister of Cow
Protection and Agriculture beginning April 30, 2001. It is the responsibility of
the local GBC Deputies to validate these reports by personally visiting or
appointing an accountable and reliable representative to do so.
If the Minister of Cow Protection and Agriculture does not
receive reports from either Vrindavan or Mayapur temples regularly during 2001,
starting on the above date, then all breeding, purchasing, and acceptance of
donations of cows shall be stopped for the delinquent temple until proper
compliance is met.
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