A judge in Gujarat has said that cow dung can protect houses from atomic radiation and cow urine can cure incurable diseases.
Judge Samir Vyas in Gujarat Tapi made these remarks in a November 2022 judgement that was made publicly available only recently. In the judgement, he calls cow as mother and expresses strong displeasure over cow slaughter.
A section of Hindus consider cow a sacred animal. A number of Hindu-majority Indian states have banned cow slaughter. Cow has been a major political issue in recent years with cow vigilantism becoming commonplace across states and several political figures making unfounded claims about cow products.
Vyas said "science has proved houses made of cow dung remain unaffected by atomic radiation". He made the observation as he sentenced a 22-year-old man to life imprisonment for transporting cows and bullocks from Gujarat to Maharashtra in violation of various laws.
He said, "All problems of the Earth will be solved the day no drop of cow's blood drops on the earth. Though we talk about cow protection, it is not implemented on the ground. Incidents of cow slaughter and illegal transportation are happening regularly. This is a disgrace to a civilised society."
Vyas said though 75 years have passed since India achieved independence, incidents of cow slaughter are on the rise instead of coming down.
He said, "Cow is a symbol of religion. Food grown through cow-based organic farming protects us from many diseases. Science has proved that houses made of cow-dung remain unaffected by atomic radiation and cow urine can cure many incurable diseases."
Vyas said cows are in danger because the bovine is being slaughtered in "mechanised slaughterhouses" today and beef is served along with meat to non-vegetarian people. To make people realise the importance of cows, he cited some Sanskrit shlokas and said "religion is born out of cow" because religion is in the form of a 'Vrishabha' (bull), which is the son of a cow.
He said it is painful that cows are being illegally transported and slaughtered, so much so that 75 per cent of the bovine population in India has already vanished.
Modi government and cow science
Despite scientific skepticism, the Narendra Modi government has promoted "cow science". In 2019, the Modi government approved the establishment of Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog for "conservation protection and development of cows and their progeny".
In 2020, Rashtriya Kamdhenu Aayog Chairman Vallabhbhai Kathiria said that chips made from cow dung protect you from atomic radiation.
"Cow dung will protect everyone, it is anti-radiation... It is scientifically proven...This is a radiation chip that can be used in mobile phones to reduce radiation. It will be safeguarded against diseases," said Kathiria as per ANI.
ANI further reported that the said chip was supposedly made by a Gujarat-based gaushala.
Scientists have said the claims are false and are a piece of "pseudoscience".
Explaining the 'research', Kathiria attached a report to questioning scientists made by Mihir Joshi, professor and Head of the Department, Physics in Saurashtra University.
"What Joshi did was to place objects made of cow dung of various thickness in front of a radio-active source and measure the radiation (counting the beta particles) in a Geiger Muller counter. Placing the object reduces the count by around 60 per cent, the test report concluded," reported Deccan Herald, adding that an independent scientist called it "pseudoscience".
Prof. Aniket Sule of Homi Bhabha Centre for Science Education, told Herald, "This experiment is a classic example of what happens if you decide the conclusions first and start designing a ‘study’ to reach that predetermined conclusion.
"What would happen if we make partitions of the same size and shape but use donkey dung or camel dung instead of cow dung? What would happen if we use wet soil instead? What happens if we use wood or plastic? Without these comparisons, the data only points to introducing some solid partition in the path that reduces the count in the GM counter, which is hardly a surprise."
The Herald noted other flaws in the study as well.
"For instance, the GM counter is not useful in measuring very low energy photons such as radio waves, which are used in mobile communication. Thus, it is unclear how this experiment validates the original claim by RKA that cow dung chips reduce ‘radiation’ in mobile phones," reported Herald.
Sule further said, "Politically motivated RKA is pushing such pseudoscience."
What's the Gujarat case about?
In August 2020, the Tapi police arrested Mohammad Aamin Anjum, a resident of Maharashtra's Malegaon town, for allegedly trying to transport 16 cows and bullocks in a truck to Gujarat.
When the police intercepted the truck, a cow and a bullock were already dead as there was not enough space or food in the vehicle for the cattle.
Anjum had fled the spot after abandoning his truck, but he was later nabbed.
After a trial, the sessions court found him guilty under relevant sections of the Gujarat Animal Preservation Act, 2011, Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017, and Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.as
In 2017, the Gujarat government introduced a stringent anti-cow slaughter law in the form of the 'Gujarat Animal Preservation (Amendment) Act, 2017', which has the provision for life term for anyone found guilty of cow slaughter or having any direct involvement in such illegal act.
The court sentenced the accused to life imprisonment under the amended Act and also imposed a fine of Rs 5 lakh on him.
(With PTI inputs)
