The Cow Economy

Man, feeds cow! Cow feeds man!

Few months back, I visited Gujarat on a 10-day long trip, to explore the state. While there were so many interesting places to see there, something that uncommonly caught my attention was the cattle on the roads. I could see a lot of cows on the roads and as such I also noticed there was no over-speeding on the highway as the local drivers, where concerned about the safety, of both the passengers and the frequently trespassing cattle.

It was fascinating to see the way, how cows and people, happily co-exist there. Rather than happy, I should say how they profitably co-exist as they see mutual benefits, in this co-existence. This is why I have given the title for this article “The Cow Economy”. Let me explain it further.

Gujarat, though ranks 4^th in the country, in the production of milk, the Dudhsagar dairy in Gujarat is the largest producer of dairy products in India and 2^nd largest in Asia. We are all aware of the Amul range of products, which is from this state. It includes several milk-based products, such as processed milk, flavoured milk, milk powder, cheese, butter, buttermilk, ghee, panner, curd, yoghurt, ice creams, milk based chocolates and so on. Gujarat is predominantly a Vegetarian state, so the milk products are the main source of fat and protein.

In addition to the cow’s milk based products, there is a lot more that man can get from a cow. “Cow dung” for instance is a good manure and the dried form of cow dung is used as a cooking fuel, in many villages even today. Gobar gas (bio gas from cow dung) is also used as a cooking fuel. A mixture of cow derivatives including its urines, milk, ghee, dung  are used as organic fertilizer, and we also see there is a growing interest in organic farming today.

In Gujarat cows are not killed, for meat. There is no cow slaughtering, however leather from the dead cow is sold.

When there is so much of economic benefit, from a cow, why would they slaughter it. It reminds me of the story we probably learnt at school about  “The Goose that lays golden eggs”, which I think suits the cow too.

So, not just dairy products, but all the products that man gets from cow, helps him to generate  revenue, which makes it lucrative for people to breed cows. In olden days, it was a practice in many households all over India, to have a cow in the house, for the many things that household members can get from it. Even today we find it in a few houses and many farm lands, because it leads to a win – win situation.

In addition to economic benefits, cows also have a spiritual significance to the Hindus. Cows are considered a divine animal in the Hindu religion. Most of the Hindu's don't consume beef, for the same reason. Cow is believed to be a home to all the Gods. It is likened to Goddess Mahalakshmi, for the prosperity it brings, which is evident through the methods of revenue, I have already stated.

When we walk around the temples in Gujarat, we can see roadside vendors selling flour balls, as an offering to be given to the cows. Many pilgrims buy it and feed the cow, as a way of religious act. We can also see people touching the cow and placing it in their eyes, as a sign of respect.

To put it in simple words, we can say, “Man feeds cow and in turn the cow feeds man” which is a win – win strategy for both the human and the cow.

While the dirt and mess created by the cows in public, can be annoying, it opened my perception to why this co-existence continues to be in practice, even after so many years of civilization. I could understand that the relationship of the Gujaratis with the cow, is not just logical, but also an emotional.

 D. Senthil Kannan,

 CEO, PALMS Training & Consulting (P) Ltd., Tuticorin.

 Author of "Transformational Thoughts" - A Journey of learning 

 Email: senthilkannand@gmail.com