Photo caption: Dignitaries seen releasing the brochure Aadunika Badukina Prathikshanavu Go-Maya in city yesterday.

Mysuru: Every second of a modern man’s life is ruled by that bovine animal — the cow and since its protection has become a hot topic today in the country, Science Writer Nagesh Hegde has come out with a brochure titled “Aadunika Badukina Prathikshanavu Go-Maya.” He explains how only half of the animal is consumed as food, while the other half is used in so many products that a man uses without even his knowledge.

Releasing the brochure at a function organised by the Dalit Sangarsha Samithi at the Rotary auditorium here yesterday, Thinker P. Mallesh said that the bone powder, hide, oil extracted from the cow and buffalo is used by man in his daily life and that is what the brochure highlights.

No Constitution or State can question what we eat. However, in the name of God, diktats are being given not to consume beef. The day is not far off when they would also come out with excuses that since pig and fish are the vehicles of Gods one should stop eating them too. This is the propaganda of the RSS and it is indirectly ruling the Centre that is in its hands. If we do not wake up then Vaidika or Sanatana Dharma will be imposed on us once again, he reflected.

Prof. K.S. Bhagawan, lauding Nagesh Hegde for the brochure, said that 98 per cent of  the people in the world are non-vegetarians. The Centre’s unscientific Cow Protection Bill is a failure as it does not have the support of the majority of the people. Instead, one should start recognising human values and spread this message in every village, he opined.  

Litterateur Prof. Kalegowda Nagawara said that the fundamentalists act as though it is their right to oppose beef consumption. Such people are there in every religion. Even when Dr. B.R. Ambedkar proceeded to give women equal rights, the fundamentalists then were opposing it. There are signs that the country is preparing to go to war and this kind of jingoism is against human nature. Everyone should fight against such majoritarian moves and put a stop to the fundamentalists’ thinking. Senior journalist Rajashekar Koti, thinker Rathi Rao, DSS District Convenor Bettaiah Kote, office-bearers Shambulingaswamy, Rathnapuri Puttaswamy, Uma Mahadev and others were present.

Gist of  ‘Go-Maya’ brochure

Research shows that the carcass of a docile cow or its hide has many uses. This is what Nagesh Hegde highlights in the brochure. The list is impressive and it includes car seats, leather jackets, bitumen for the road, gelatine sticks used to blast rocks, the shining plywood sheets, gum to stick papers, iron tablets used to treat anaemic patients, Ephinephrene medicine for controlling low blood pressure, soaps, shaving creams, toothpaste, perfumes, crayons, candle sticks and in many other products it is used.

Coming to sports, it also is ruled by the cow. For instance the cricket ball, football, hand gloves, batting pads are all made by buffalo hide. The intestines of the buffalo is used in stringing tennis and badminton racquets. Even the chewing gum that children are so fond of has the gelatine extracted from the horns of the cows.   

Just half portion of the cow or buffalo that comes to the abattoirs is converted into beef. The rest of the portion is as shown above used for various purposes. If we stop using this then the disposal becomes a major issue. The cost of beef will become prohibitive.

The gist of the brochure that Nagesh Hegde has so vividly described no doubt will shock one to shed tears but if the trend to hurt people in the name of cow continues, the day is not far off when we have to use glycerine to shed tears.