Abuse solutions

[Guest guest]

How to go about encouraging devotees to feel responsible for the cows on

their localfarm...

This is the problem with a communal herd, everyone feels it is someoneelse's

responsibility- like a communal car, no one feels it's theirs, so they don't

bother to put

oil or water in it, but still they use it, so what happens then? (We have

experienced thisin several locations, and the communal car never lasted

long)

We use the milk or labour

of these animals, so we each have a responsibility to make sure each one,

along with its

offspring,is properly protected. It is not enough to assume the person in

charge is

doing so, because we have seen the result of such an assumption. It has been

abuse andneglect, and now we can add to the list, slaughter.

Just like we were told, the

communal car is Krsna's, so we each should show our devotion to Him

bylooking

after it, so these cows are actually Krsna's, so we can definitely show our

devotion to

Him by looking after cows, because they are by nature VERY dear to Him! Cars

aren't.This risk is only there because we do not have varnasrama, where the

cows

arethe property and means of livelihood of the vaisya class, who naturally

take

excellent

care, as one would a very essential car- belonging, from a social point of

view, tooneself."Proprietorship turns dust into gold"- is that how it goes?

In the meantime "to

ensure the good fortune of the cows" in our communal herds, we have to

cultivate the

higher consciousness that they are Krsna's, that they are VERY dear to Him,

and we

have a responsibility to ensure they are never neglected, as users of their

milk orlabour, or even if not, then as devotees of Krsna.

The cow ministry made a statement

which I am simply expanding on, it was in the guidelines: "...every devotee

who drinksmilk, has a responsibility to the cows..."

So it may not be possible for every devotee to

actually be out there in the field making sure the cows are alright on a

regular basis,

but they should make sure someone does, by propagating the importance of it,

encouraging those so inclined to do so, by protecting their right to do so,

which may

become jeopardized as they see and report abuse, and when abuse has

beenreported

by such persons, to take it seriously, and to take whatever steps are

neededfor

rectification.So education is the beginning, there are SO many quotes about

the

importance of cow protection, the special relationship of the cows to Krsna,

how Hecan only be pleased if the cows are well-cared for. These can be

compiled,

printed up,

sent to each farm and a GBC regulation made that every farm devotee read

them. Then

volunteers asked for, for observation of herd. (I would say volunteers,

notGBC

appointed officials, is better, because service attitude to the cows is

the likely motiveof a willing volunteer. Anything forced is artificial) .

It may be argued that the motive

of the volunteer may be to discredit the one in charge, by making up stories

of cow

abuse. But this is only possible if the entire community is uninterested in

the welfare of

the cows, and so does not know if the stories are true or not. Through

education this isnot likely to be the case.

So if there is any doubt there can be an investigation team of

caring devotees determining the validity of the reports, then taking

stepsfor

rectification. This will greatly reduce the possibility for abuse, in all

its forms, tocontinue. YS, Niscala

The investigation team should also be volunteers for the same

reason. Then how to ensure they are not volunteering for the purpose of

discrediting

the manager? At least one friend of the manager should be encouraged to be

part ofthe team, so the report will be unbiased.

Being a part of this team need not be

time-consuming. Only when there is a problem of abuse with nothing being

done about

it, or there is doubt as to the validity of claims of abuse, will the team

be required atall. Hope this is of help.

 

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