Mumbai: Jain leaders have asked the community to dedicate the 75th birthday of Prime Minister, Narendra Modi, on September 17, to the welfare of cows and creation of self-reliant cow shelters.
Samasth Mahajan, a Jain organisation has announced fodder donation programmes at every cow shelter or gaushala. The group has asked members to involve local leaders in the programmes and upload geo-tagged photos and videos of the events on social media to inspire others.
Girish Shah of Samasth Mahajan, the managing trustee of Indian Animal Welfare Board, said that the plan is to promote products using dung from the shelters to make products like like diyas, planters, compost, slurry, and plastering material to increase the income of gaushalas that are now largely dependent on donations and government grants.
Another suggestion is to create cow urine-based products to develop pesticides and cleaning agents, besides using waste from the shelters to support organic farming. For this, a scheme called 'One acre=One trolley cow dung' has been suggested for sustainable farming.
Other schemes suggested to mark the day are rainwater harvesting using check dams, ponds, or clean nalas in every gaushala to conserve water. Samasth Mahajan has also suggested the conversion of fallow land into pastures to ensure a steady supply of cow feed. Plantation of native trees like peepal, neem, banyan, and karanja have been suggested in the gaushalas.
Community groups have been asked to involve the youth and children in the programme so that values of compassion and animal welfare are instilled in them. Let us celebrate Prime Minister Modi's birthday not just as a festival, but as a commitment to animal welfare, cow service, and a self-reliant India, said Samastha Mahajan.
