Celebrate February 14 as ‘Cow Hug Day’: Animal Welfare Board of India

“Vedic traditions are almost on the verge of extinction due to the progress of west [sic] culture over time. The dazzle of western civilization has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten,” it said.

“In view of the immense benefits of the cow, hugging [the] cow will bring emotional richness hence will increase our individual and collective happiness. Therefore, all the cow lovers may also celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day, keeping in mind the importance of the mother cow and making life happy and full of positive energy. This [was] issued with the approval of competent authority and on the direction of the Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying,” the appeal further read.

Talking to The Indian Express, board assistant secretary Prachi Jain said, “We received directions from the Union ministry to issue this appeal. Also, we had received certain representations for it. The time is very limited this time, because of which we are not able to do any event in this regard. But we have issued an appeal to the people and couples can follow it”.

Asked if it was an appeal for all the states, Jain added, “It will be for all the states. Animal welfare is for all the states. Gujarat and various other states will also be observing February 14 as Cow Hug Day”.

Haryana Chief Minister Manohar Lal Khattar last year issued directions to have “at least one hospital in each district of the state for timely treatment and care of stray cows injured in road accidents”.

“Timely treatment of every injured cow should be ensured in these hospitals. Dedicated medical arrangements should be made for the treatment of the cows in at least one veterinary hospital at the district level as well. There should be a system to keep at least 50 cows in these hospitals and if any hospital is not able to make such an arrangement, then a temporary hospital should be established at a nearby cowshed and the arrangement for giving medical treatment should be made there under the supervision of a government veterinarian,” Khattar said last year.

Three days ago, Khattar reiterated his government’s resolve to make gaushalas self-reliant and announced Rs 21 lakh for the Brahmanand gaushala at Kurana in Panipat district. Lok Sabha MP Sanjay Bhatia and Rajya Sabha MP Krishan Lal Panwar announced ₹11 lakh each while Lok Sabha MP Arvind Sharma gave Rs 2.50 lakh for the gaushala on the occasion.

The government has initiatives such as a ₹30-crore annual fodder grant to make the gaushalas self-reliant.

Khattar had said that “any registered gaushala in need of a grant can reach out to the government through the saral portal. Solar power plants have been installed in 330 gaushalas in the state under the mukhyamantri gaushala jagmag yojana. To encourage cattle rearing, a subsidy is being given for setting up a dairy of indigenous breeds of cows”.

The government has already implemented the Haryana Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act 2015 and set up a special cow protection task force to prevent cow slaughter and cow smuggling.

“Beef testing labs have been set up in Faridabad and Yamunanagar to punish cow slaughterers. Two cow shelters have been established at Panipat’s Nain village and Hisar’s Dhandhur village to keep destitute cattle,” the chief minister said.

He also called upon the gaushala operators to “emphasise the production of natural phenyl, organic manure, cow dung utensils, natural paint, pot, lamp, incense, soap and other products from cow urine and dung”.