HC asks Rajasthan govt to make cow ‘legal entity’, get it declared National Animal

Yash Goyal

Jaipur, May 31

The Rajasthan High Court on Wednesday asked the state government to make cow a “legal entity” and get it declared as National Animal by representing the case at the Central government level for its better conservation and breeding on the lines of Nepal.

On a writ petition of Jago Janata Society vs State of Rajasthan pending since 2010, the single-judge bench of Justice Mahesh Chandra Sharma in his 139-page judgment directed the state government to take up all essential steps to get the cow declared as National Animal after according it the “legal entity” status.

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The HC judge, on the day of his retirement, also appointed the state Chief Secretary and Advocate General as “persons in Loco Parentis” to ensure cows’ conservation and breeding, and asked them to take all legal measures to get it declared National Animal.

Both the CS and Advocate General will approach the Central government and make a proper representation at every level, he said.

Society convener Poonam Chand Bhandari filed the writ petition in 2010 against the “mismanagement and irregularities” in Jaipur’s Hingonia Gaushala where thousands of bovines used to die every month. Last year, the untimely deaths echoed nationwide, and the state government had to hand over the Hingonia Gaushala to Akshya Patra Foundation for maintenance and breeding. 

The High Court directed the state government to include a provision of life imprisonment under the Rajasthan Bovine Animal (Prohibition of Slaughter and Regulation of Temporary Migration or Export), Act, 1995.

“Nepal is a Hindu nation and has declared cow as National Animal. India is an agricultural country that undertakes animal rearing. According to Articles 48 and 51A (g), it is expected from the state government that they should take action to get a legal entity status for cow in this country. It is expected from the government that it should also declare cow National Animal,” the judgment said. 

The HC also told the state government to release funds to the Hingonia Gaushala every fortnight without any delay. All top officials concerned of the JDA, JMC and Gau Palan ministry should visit the gaushala every month to monitor the progress of the works underway for betterment of cows’ protection and breeding, it was said. 

The Bench also granted liberty to any person or class of persons to approach the court with a plea in a PIL to declare cow as National Animal.

'Peacock does not indulge in sex'

Talking to reporters outside the court after passing the order, Justice Sharma also presented a unique theory on the mating of peacocks, the national bird.

In reference to his verdict, he said "peacock too has his qualities. He is a life-long celibate. He does not indulge in sex with peahen. The peahen gives birth after it gets impregnated with the tears of the peacock. A peacock or a peahen is then born... Lord Krishna used peacock's feather for celibacy of the bird." — With PTI inputs