A major movement for the Sanatan Dharm community is set to begin with the launch of the Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra, a nationwide journey aimed at elevating the cow to the status of ‘Mother of the Nation’ and making India free from cow slaughter. The Yatra will officially commence on September 22, 2024, and will travel across India, concluding in Delhi on October 26. One key event on this journey will be the installation of a ‘Gau Dhwaj’ (cow flag) in Kohima, Nagaland, on September 28.
This announcement was made during a press conference held on Sunday at the Kohima Press Club office. The Yatra is being led by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Maharaj of Jyotirmath, who will arrive in Kohima on September 27 to oversee the installation ceremony. The event, scheduled from 9 am to 12 noon on September 28, is expected to draw prominent cow devotees from across the region. Following the ceremony in Kohima, Shankaracharya will continue his journey to Imphal, Manipur.
The Gau Pratishtha Andolan, which forms the backbone of this Yatra, aims to shift cow protection from the state list to the central list in the Indian Constitution and eliminate cow slaughter nationwide. This movement continues the legacy of past efforts like the 1966 GauRaksha Andolan, which saw significant sacrifices from its devotees. The current campaign, led by Param GauBhakt Pujya Gopal Mani, has gained momentum with the passing of the Rama Gau Pratishtha Samhita Bill and a 42-point Dharmadesh, signaling the growing importance of this cause.
The Yatra will involve installing sacred cow flags in the capitals of all Indian states and Union Territories, beginning in Ayodhya and ending with a grand ceremony in Delhi. Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Maharaj has declared 2024 the “Year of the Cow” and has already led a barefoot march from Govardhan to Delhi in support of the movement. Along the way, he presided over grand Gau Pratishtha Sammelans in various states, honoring prominent cow devotees. In Kohima, he will deliver an address at the Gau Mahasabha after the flag installation.
The overarching goal of the Yatra is to unite cow devotees nationwide to restore the cow’s dignity and bestow upon it the title of ‘Mother of the Nation’ under the motto “Cow as Mother of the Nation – Mother of the Nation, India.” The Yatra will culminate in a nationwide Gau Pratishtha Mahasammelan in Delhi from November 7 to 9, coinciding with Gopashtami. This will serve as a key appeal to the Government of India to formally recognize the cow as the ‘Mother of the Nation’ and to enforce a countrywide ban on cow slaughter.
Upcoming ‘cow flag’ installation in Kohima draws strong reactions
Azo Nienu condemns planned cow slaughter ban program in Kohima, calls for protection of individual food choice
Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, MLA and Leader of the NPF Legislator Party, has expressed alarm and strong opposition to a cow slaughter ban program scheduled for September 28, 2024, in Kohima. The program, organized under the Gau Dhwaj Sthapna Bharat Yatra, aims to make India a cow slaughter-free country.
In a press statement, Nienu voiced his concern, stating, “I am alarmed and shocked to learn through a Press Release about a cow slaughter ban program… to make India cow slaughter-free.” He condemned the imposition of such bans, viewing it as an infringement on individual rights, particularly the right to food choice. “As a public leader, I felt duty-bound to protect the rights of my people,” he said, adding that the ban “tantamount to infringement of freedom of individual rights to choice of food.”
Nienu reiterated his opposition to the imposition of food choices on Nagaland, referencing a protest organized by the NPF in July 2017. “I would like to further reiterate my commitment to condemn imposition of food choice in Nagaland and recollect the Beef Festival Protest conducted in Kohima… in a predominantly beef-eating population in Nagaland,” he noted.
Further, Nienu criticized the hypocrisy of mainland Gau Rakshaks who advocate for cow protection while large-scale cow slaughter continues for export, particularly to the Middle East.
“The biggest beef-exporting companies are owned by Hindus,” he said, pointing to companies like Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd., Arabian Exports Pvt. Ltd., M.K.R Frozen Food Exports Pvt. Ltd., and P.M.L Industries Pvt. Ltd., all led by Hindu businessmen.
India, Nienu emphasized, ranks fifth globally in meat production, with major contributions from states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, West Bengal, Andhra Pradesh, and Telangana. He highlighted that many Hindu businessmen are among the largest beef suppliers in India.
Nienu also expressed solidarity with the Arunachal Students Union, which recently voiced its objection to similar impositions on food habits through the Gau Dhwaj Sthapna Bharat Yatra program.
NDPP raises concerns over planned ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra’ in Kohima
The Nationalist Democratic Progressive Party (NDPP) has expressed its concerns regarding the proposed ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra,’ scheduled for September 28, 2024, in Kohima. The event, aimed at promoting the ban on cow slaughter, has been widely reported in local media, prompting the NDPP to issue a statement emphasizing the potential impact on the sentiments of the people of Nagaland.
In their statement, the NDPP made it clear that while they are “a secular political party with its principles enshrined in the Constitution of India,” being a regional party, their foremost priority is “protecting the rights, privileges, and sentiments of the people of the State.” The party highlighted the importance of Article 371A of the Indian Constitution, which safeguards the “religious and social practices” of the Naga people. The NDPP stressed that the Nagaland Legislative Assembly (NLA) and the state government had already decided against implementing the “Ban on Cow Slaughter Act 2019” in light of these constitutional provisions.
“The decision of the NLA and the Government still stands,” the statement reads, warning that a program aimed at promoting the ban could “hurt the sentiments of the Naga people and may also affect the socio-religious harmony prevailing in the State.”
The NDPP also reiterated its respect for the “social and religious beliefs of each and every citizen of this diverse Nation,” while calling for a reciprocal respect for the traditions and practices of the Naga people. They pointed out that the Republic of India has always allowed states to decide on laws and legislations based on their unique needs, noting that other regions such as the North-East, Kerala, and West Bengal have similarly chosen not to implement the 2019 Act.
“In such a scenario, to organize such an event as announced would go against the sentiments of the majority of the people of the State and will also be undermining the powers conferred upon the State Legislature and the State government by the Constitution of India,” the statement further explained.
In light of these concerns, the NDPP urged the organizers of the ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra’ to “reconsider their proposal” and called upon the Nagaland government to “intervene at the earliest” to ensure that the “prevalent socio-religious harmony and brotherhood is not disturbed.”