Hundreds of cows starve to death in Rajasthan shelter as caretakers on strike

Jaipur: What could be more ironical in a country where politics revolves around protecting and serving “cow”; where a man lost his life over a rumour of eating “beef” and people involved in animal trade are being routinely thrashed by cow vigilantes than the fact that hundreds of cows died in a government-run shelter due to apathy and negligence of caretakers?

Ironically, this happened in Rajasthan, the first state in the country to have a separate department and minister in charge of the welfare of cow. And, it was here that chief minister Vasundhra Raje had presided over a public oath to protect cows six years ago when she was in the Opposition.

But, cows trembling to death from hunger and thirst at the Hingonia shelter belie the tall claims of the state. Two weeks ago, some 225 employees of the shelter went on a strike to protest wage delays. Jaipur’s municipal officials had refused to release their salaries alleging that the company they were outsourced from was blacklisted. The cows are now bearing the brunt of the festering dispute between the shelter employees and the government in Jaipur.

On an average, 40 cows have been dying in Rajasthan’s biggest government run cow shelter, Hingonia Gaushala. Cows have been living — and dying — in extreme agony. Many of them are barely in a condition to walk in the muddy slush. For almost a fortnight now, no one has drained the rain water out of their sheds. That is when the government claims that it spent Rs 10.78 crore in the financial year 2015-16 at the Hingonia centre alone.

Waking up after the high court pulled up the government and asked for a report that it swung into action. Kunji Lal Meena, secretary for the animal husbandry and Gaupalan department, issued a statement claiming that there are over 8,000 cows at the Hingonia Gaushala which are taken care of by a team of 14 veterinarians, 24 livestock assistants, and about 200 other staff.

He said the deceased cows which died were only recently brought to the facility and most of them were already unwell and suffering from malnutrition.

In November last year, cows had died in a government run shelter in Ajmer as well. However, the cow vigilantes and the Hindu right organizations, which otherwise create ruckus and even thrashed some people only a few days ago in Dungarpur alleging that they were smuggling cows, are nowhere to be seen.