NEW DELHI: Roadblock is the mother of the BJP-led Central government’s innovation. After deciding to put on hold the proposed national ban on cow slaughter due to political and legal reasons, it is coming up with innovative ways to encourage cow rearing while taking measures to discourage the killing of cows.
Taking the lead in this is the Prime Minister’s Office (PMO). It has asked Minister of Agriculture Radha Mohan Singh and the various ministries, including the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare to come up with “innovative ideas” to make cow rearing a profitable practice. The directive came after the Ministry of Law opposed a national ban on the killing of cows. The ministries have also been asked to think out of the box and do “serious research” to find out more about the productive ways in which cow waste can be used. The ministries are doing exactly that. The Ministry of Agriculture has decided to encourage production and marketing of products made from cow dung and urine. The government will also encourage the marketing of a cleaning liquid made from a mixture of cow urine, neem and a fragrant that can be used instead of phenyl, the ubiquitous cleaning liquid.
“While phenyl made from chemicals is not good for human health, this liquid is 100 per cent natural. Cow urine has inherent medicinal components, which should make it more attractive,” said an official with the ministry.
He said that the product will be available at all Kendriya Bhandars across the country and will be made mandatory in all government spaces. The government also plans to give subsidies to NGOs working in this area.
“Making products from cow urine and cow dung will make cow rearing a more lucrative proposition. The government hopes to dissuade farmers from selling off cows when they become old. It will also help gaushalas across the country,’’ the official added.
While the Ministry of Agriculture is focusing on cow urine, the Ministry of Health and Family Welfare-especially the Department of AYUSH (Ayurveda, Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha and Homoeopathy )-is focusing on ‘panchgavya’, a collective name for five products obtained from cows-- milk, curd, ghee, urine and dung.