The cow is very useful animal. The Hindus worship it as a sacred animal, and call it the mother. They are for preserving it at all costs, and are very much opposed to killing such a useful and good animal.
The cow gives milk, which is next to mother’s milk for rearing infants. It is the most wholesome food for adults, also. From this milk, we make several delicious things, such as curds, butter, rabri.
In an agricultural country like Pakistan, the usefulness of the cow is unquestioned. The oxen are used for ploughing land, and for carrying burdens. They are very strong animals and can endure hard labor.
The question of preserving and improving the breed of such a useful animal is a very important one. The cow is an animal of great economic value, and the thought and money that may be spent on a question like this will be amply · repaid by the improved physical health and enhanced material prosperity of the people.
Provision of extensive and free pasture lands, greater cultivation of fodder crops, better breeding, the opening of veterinary hospitals–these are some of the methods which might be adopted with success. The religious sentiment of veneration for the cow is a very noble one, and it is one important item in the religion of the Hindus, but it must be broadly interpreted. It should not aim only at the protection of the weak and the sick, though they should be protected by all means, but at the production of a better type, also. In Australia, an agricultural country like Pakistan, they have a better type of cows which are very healthy and strong and yield more milk than we have in Pakistan. Dairies should be started in the country on up-to-date scientific lines. This would solve the question of cow-protection. It is a pity that the slaughter of cows leads to bloody riots between the Hindus and the Mohammedans on certain occasions. These should be prevented, and both parties should respect each other’s religious feelings.