High Court rejects plea to move 1008 cows for puja

The Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court (HC) has rejected an appeal made by National South Indian River Interlinking Agriculturists Association, to transport 1,008 cows from different places to Trichy on December 25 to conduct ‘Gho Puja’, seeking divinely blessings to inter-link rivers and a prosperous future for farmers in the state. 

‘‘It would be highly inhumane to transport cows from far-off places and assemble them under the scorching sun,’’ said Justice S Vaidyanathan, while dismissing a writ-petition filed by the association. 

Trichy district police have banned transport of cows for special puja and hence the association sought court direction to revoke the ban. The Judge said, ‘‘it should be remembered that though cow is an animal, it has many specialties that no other animal or even human beings have in this world.’’ This is the reason why Hindus consider cow as mother after their own mother and pray to it with respect by naming it as Gomatha.  

Moreover, cows have been treated as sacred and as a personification of Goddess Kamadhenu in India, he reasoned. The Additional Advocate General K.Chellapandian submitted that the petitioner’s association has been interested only in publicity.