Seeing the bigger picture - there is more than beef ban!

I know I am stepping into a minefield by just saying beef ban but still, the controversy around the issue is something that I have been giving thought recently. As an ardent reader, the news is something I don’t miss as much as possible. All through it, I see columns that talk about how the beef ban is disruptive, hurtful but is there anything more to this subject than what we can see to the naked eye? Can we not have something laid out clearly be treated straight forward.

Let us see the same topic in a different light. Simply put, the human mind always grasps the negative connotation much faster than the positive one. The usage of beef ban implies that the government is stopping people from eating beef when the larger stress should be given to the protection of the cows. Yes, not consuming beef is a part of the protection of cows but that is not the only section involved in the process. The emphasis put on only one part of the whole leads to a misunderstanding of what needs to be done.

Historically the breeds that are purely Indian were found in abundance in the region that today know as Akhila Bharatha. During the white revolution, an emphasis for milch breeds ( the breeds that give large quantities of milk) started to dim the importance on the other breeds. The Indian breeds have a variety of specialities depending on the region and the physical activity that they did. Each breed is nature's handiwork to help humans.

Recently, a few articles stated that if cows are not disposed of, then there are multiple problems that would occur. First being that they contribute to greenhouse gases, specifically, methane which is destroying the ozone layer. The solution is as simple as using bio gas. Biogas especially can counter the sky high prices of LPG for the poorest and the methane gas is converted into much-needed fuel. Second, they stated that old cows needed to dispose of or cows needed to sold during famine as the agriculturist cannot afford to take care. This mindset is due to the stress on milk as the only product of use from cows. The urine and dung of the cows can be used in medicines, daily products. The production of urine and dung is lifelong and hence can produce additional income to the same agriculturist.

Protection hence becomes an important aspect to consider. An easy way to look at it is, if any animal is nearing extinction, it maybe a tiger or a giant panda, the world steps up to protect that species. In the same way, Indian breed cows are now facing that constant threat hanging over their heads. So, there is no doubt that these silent animals need our protection and loving care. They have equal rights to live their lives a 100% like any other living thing and that fact needs to be respected by all humans.

The question that needs to be asked is this - is it right to snatch cows from people who have lovingly brought them up and sent to be killed? Is it fair to huddle cows into trucks by breaking their legs so that they can't run away? Is it okay to push a farmer into debt and suicide with expensive chemicals rather than an affordable, organic way of agriculture with cows?

We can say again that all this controversy and stress on the only beef ban is a small chunk, a small piece in the bigger picture. It is high time that we stepped back, saw the larger picture and joined hands in the revolution of protection Indian breed cows today!