Shambo the bull

[Guest guest]

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26th June 2007.

Shambo the bull at Skanda Vale Wales

 

 

 

Jane Davidson Minister for Sustainability and rural development at Welsh Assembly has issued a statement on the issue of Shambo the bull. She has revealed that at recent testing two more animals in the temple complex have tested positive for bTB and a further five animals are suspect. The Welsh assembly is ordering a culling. Some Hindus might see this as a failing of the system to protect sacred animals. In fact what this issue has highlighted is a failing of a different kind. A failure of Hindu leadership.

 

Poor Hindu leadership wound up this issue into a major national campaign to save from slaughter a sacred bull in a Hindu temple. Using highly emotive language like forming a human chain to protect the bull it churned up Hindu emotions. No consideration was given to the fact that this exercise was undermining the credibility of the Hindu religion.

 

Even though the Hindu religion places a great deal of emphasis on reverence for all life; it also recognises that all such marvellous ideas can only be put into practise after taking into account the overall context in which we are operating. There is nothing in the Hindu scriptures that says that the life of a bull in the temple is any more sacred than the lives of other bulls or animals grazing in the fields outside the temple. If the life of one animal may endanger the lives of other animals or humans then the Hindu teaching on this issue is very clear. "We have to take into account the greater good and sacrifice the individual good." Such contextual considerations were completely ignored by a misguided Hindu leadership. It now appears that bTB has spread to other animals living in the temple grounds. They too now face the inevitable cull. Who is going to take responsibility for this further loss of lives?

 

Many Hindu youngsters were made to feel that by signing petitions to protect Shambo the bull they were somehow expressing their loyalty to Hinduism. The way this thing is unfolding now will no doubt make them feel bitter and let down. Who will explain to them that it is not Hinduism that has let them down but poor Hindu leadership? Many of them are incapable of making this distinction.

 

 

jay lakhani

 

Vivekananda Centre London

http://www.vivekananda.co.uk

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Poor Hindu leadership that for reasons unknown churned this very local issue into an emotive national cause churning up Hindu sentimentality.

 

In the process it undermined the dignity and credibility of the Hindu religion by issuing statements which are strictly not in agreement with Hindu teachings. Hinduism teaches sacredness of all life but it also stipulates the contextual limitations of such comments. If the life of one bull can endanger the lives of other animals or even humans then the Hindu teachings would agree with the regulations in this country

 

 

[Guest guest]

The following excerpt from the Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda

will give an insight to Swamiji's attitude to the " Holy Cow " . The

last line is particularly interesting.

 

 

At the announcement of this preacher of cow-protection Swamiji came

out to the parlour room. The preacher saluted Swamiji and presented

him with a picture of the mother-cow. Swamiji took that in his hand

and, making it over to one standing by, commenced the following

conversation with the preacher:

 

Swamiji: What is the object of your society?

 

Preacher: We protect the mother-cows of our country from the hands

of the butcher. Cow-infirmaries have been founded in some places

where the diseased, decrepit mother-cows or those bought from the

butchers are provided for.

 

Swamiji: That is very good indeed. What is the source of your

income?

 

Preacher: The work of the society is carried on only by gifts kindly

made by great men like you.

 

Swamiji: What amount of money have you now laid by?

 

Preacher: The Marwari traders' community are the special supporters

of this work. They have given a big amount for this good cause.

 

Swamiji: A terrible famine has now broken out in Central India. The

Indian Government has published a death-roll of nine lakhs of

starved people. Has your society done anything to render help in

this time of famine?

 

Preacher: We do not help during famine or other distresses. This

society has been established only for the protection of mother-cows.

 

Swamiji: During a famine when lakhs of people, your own brothers and

sisters, have fallen into the jaws of death, you have not thought it

your duty, though having the means, to help them in that terrible

calamity with food!

 

Preacher: No. This famine broke out as a result of men's Karma,

their sins. It is a case of " like Karma, like fruit " .

 

Hearing the words of the preacher, sparks of fire, as it were,

scintillated in Swamiji's large eyes; his face became flushed. But

he suppressed his feeling and said: " Those associations which do not

feel sympathy for men and, even seeing their own brothers dying from

starvation, do not give them a handful of rice to save their lives,

while giving away piles of food to save birds and beasts, I have not

the least sympathy for, and I do not believe that society derives

any good from them. If you make a plea of Karma by saying that men

die through their Karma, then it becomes a settled fact that it is

useless to try or struggle for anything in this world; and your work

for the protection of animals is no exception. With regard to your

cause also, it can be said — the mother-cows through their own Karma

fall into the hands of the butchers and die, and we need not do

anything in the matter. "

 

The preacher was a little abashed and said: " Yes, what you say is

true, but the Shâstras say that the cow is our mother. "

 

Swamiji smilingly said, " Yes, that the cow is our mother, I

understand: who else could give birth to such accomplished

children? "

 

The up-country preacher did not speak further on the subject;

perhaps he could not understand the point of Swamiji's poignant

ridicule. He told Swamiji that he was begging something of him for

the objects of the society.

[Guest guest]

This is very sad indeed.

 

I hope that the Hindu leaders who have been making a lot of noise about saving Shambo take full responsibility for the spread of infection to other livestock and how have the blood of these livestock who didn't have to be infected on their hands.

 

They should come out (will they??) and apologise inconditionally and show remorse for misguiding many young Hindus.

 

Isn't it ironic that when these leaders should be helping Hindus to have pride in their religion are actually doing a good job of pushing them away.

 

Depressing ....

 

Vijay