Observations on Mayapur & Vrndavan goshallas.

[Guest guest]

Mayapur and Vrndavana ISKCON goshallas

 

An observers report.

 

 

That Cow protection is at the heart of the ISKCON society should not be in

doubt as the following verse testifies:

 

Namo brahmanya devaya go brahmanya hitaya ca

Jagad hitaya krsnaya govindaya namo namah

 

Here the cows are respected before even the brahmanas

 

As an observer visiting both goshallas this year my initial impression is

that in both places there are a number of cows which seem well looked after.

There are arrangements that the dung is moved daily and in Mayapur the floor

is washed twice daily. Plenty of chopped straw and grasses are supplied to

the tethered cows. The goshalla buildings appear somewhat rundown and this

is polarised because in both cases there are significant new prosperous

buildings being erected in the vicinity.

 

Looking a little further a cow related person will notice some shortcomings

and ask

 

Where are all the bulls and oxen? Where are the pasturing grounds and fields

cultivated by goshalla oxen?

 

The answers to these questions is unpalatable. It points at a management

system that has systematically sent cows and bulls away for perhaps decades.

Perhaps every year for the past 10-15 years 50 cows from Vrndavan and 40

cows from Mayapur have been sold or donated to local farmers and families.

The problem I fear is that this management system cannot guarantee a full

life for the cows and bulls. My thoughts are that a significant number of

these ‘protected animals’ have been slaughtered. One major problem is that

nobody can trace all these animals and confirm or deny the worst.

 

As the members of the cow conference know only too well breeding cows is an

extremely serious and essential necessity and requires complete dedication

and support of men, money and land. The full impact of breeding policies has

to be calculated over twenty years. This has clearly not been done in these

two goshallas. Fundamentally there has been no energy going into the

acquirement of land neither the proper utilisation of the oxen..

 

Srila Prabhupada has warned “If you don’t work the oxen you will think about

killing them”. This is what has happened indirectly in the two flagships of

ISKCON goshallas. Srila Prabhupada wanted “Our cow protection program in

India should be the exemplary standard for the whole world”. Sadly these two

goshallas are not giving any leadership at this time.

 

Mayapur Goshalla is breeding about 30--40 cows each year. They should then

have around 540-720 animals (based on an 18 year lifespan). They have 145.

The missing cows have either been lost by neglect or deliberately sent away

(especially the oxen) to local people. Thus there are 400-570 cows

unaccounted for in the Mayapur goshalla. They currently have about 10 bulls

and oxen. From these they have one ox team. They are embarrassed because

currently there is an inspiration towards Y2k readiness and they have no

working oxen. The land is cultivated by petrol rotovators, and tractors. The

internal transportation is done by tractors and motorised trailers. The

management decisions have created unemployment for the oxen. There has been

no thinking to date of how to make Mayapur dependant on the ox.

 

Vrndavana Goshalla is breeding between 40-50 cows each year, thus they

should have a herd of 720-900 cows and oxen. They have 198. There are then

520-700 cows unaccounted for. Uddar Pradesh exports beef. Vrndavana goshalla

has 5 bulls and 4 oxen. There is 7 acres of land of which about 3 is

pasture.

 

How has it been possible that these flagships goshallas have been so

sidelined to the realm of embarrassments to the cow protection cause. They

are showing a standard at the other end of the spectrum to which Srila

Prabhupada wanted.

 

Why has there not been hundreds of acres of land purchased for the welfare

of the cows and bulls in both Mayapur and Vrndavana. Mayapur should have no

less than 700 acres of land just for grazing, what to speak of agricultural

land to engage the oxen. Vrndavan should have 900 acres of pasture land and

at least the same again for agriculture. Who can address this serious area

of concern ? Who can champion the land requirements for these cows. There

must be a serious approach to the purchase of the land required for these

two goshallas. The land requirements for the growing Mayapur city are great

and the cows play a central role in the world model. The land requirements

for the cows and oxen must be placed firmly in the fore front of any

discussions regarding Vrndavana and Mayapur.

 

Some thoughts from an observer.

 

Yours in the service of the cows

Syamasundara dasa

Pilgrimage to India spring 1999