Faith Features

The 13th of February 2008 was exactly two months after Gangotri the cow was killed by vets acting for the RSPCA.

Justice for Gangotri protest

Although she was part of the herd at Bhaktivedanta Manor, the issue of cow protection and DEFRA legislation on cattle has become an interesting debate. It is essentially a clash between a faith and its beliefs and a culture which holds very different values.

Hindus believe the cow to be a sacred mother figure: while our society has rules and regulations that see cattle as part of the food chain. 

Gangotri has symbolised the debate. Most Hindus do not keep cattle, so the issue of a cow that has "gone down"  has not been an issue. In such cases a cow would last 14 days. The devotees at the Manor prolonged Gangotri's life by 14 months with the equivalent of palliative care.

The Justice for Gangotri campain is seeking clarification of the rules in line with Hindu beliefs. On the day that temple president Gauri Das was scattering Gangotri's ashes in the River Ganges, the temple's monks and supporters boarded a bus for Westmisnster.

A re-enactment of Gangotri's killing

They were urged to present a more sombre face than they normally show on London's streets. But that was soon dispelled as more devotees from the London temple arrived and we saw the Seventh Cavalry singing and dancing their way down Whitehall.

A re-enactment of Gangotri's killing was carried out with Gangotri represented by a girl in a white saree. Speeches were made and the MP for Brent North, Barry Gardiner, who raised the issue in an early day motion, was confident that changes could be made and that this would not happen again.

Led by the chanting of Hare Krishna, the procession made its way to Smith Square and the headquarters of DEFRA. Workers looked on from the surrounding buildings as the protest turned into a party mood. After a final circuit of Smith Square, it was back on the bus to Bhaktivedanta Manor.

I must say it was quite strange to travel down Oxford Street on a bus with orange robed, shaven headed chanting monks, rather than see them from the bus.