The Hindu : Karnataka / Bangalore News : Maths urged to establish cattle shelters

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Thursday, Oct 26, 2006
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Karnataka

Karnataka - Bangalore

Maths urged to establish cattle shelters

Staff Reporter

Exhibition on Indian breeds of cattle to be held in April

Bangalore: Raghaveswara Bharathi Swamiji of Ramachandrapura Math in Hosanagar of Shimoga district on Wednesday said religious organisations, especially maths, should establish cow shelters for the protection of Indian breeds of cattle, which were on the verge of extinction.

Addressing a press conference to announce a nine-day international conference-cum-scientific exhibition on Indian breeds of cattle at Hosanagar in Shimoga district, beginning April 21, the swamiji said religious heads should take it upon themselves to establish cattle sheds to protect Indian breeds instead of demanding that the Government reserve gomal (grazing lands) in rural areas.

The former Director-General and Inspector-General of Police T. Madiyal, who is the administrator of the math, was present.

The swamiji expressed happiness over the announcement by Chief Minister H.D. Kumaraswamy that some grazing land would be earmarked in each taluk for the purpose.

Protection

He said it was the duty of citizens and not just the Government to protect Indian breeds of cattle.

Quoting the Livestock Census report of 2003 on human-cattle ratio, the swamiji said that in 1951 there were 430 cattle for every 1,000 persons. But, the figure had come down to 110 in 2001, and at this rate it would be 20 in 2011. There were 70 breeds two decades ago.

The swamiji launched a Kamadhuga programme under which the math has collected 27 breeds out of 33 breeds of Indian cattle from different States to save them from extinction.

He said the math had written to President A.P.J. Abdul Kalam requesting him to inaugurate this unique conference-cum-scientific exhibition and was waiting for his response.

Seminars

A series of seminar-cum-meetings organised in 170 places all over the State from October 2 to educate villagers on the usefulness and importance of Indian cattle had been a great success.

It would go on till April and may be extended.

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