Yogi exhorts religious bodies to protect cows, promote Sanskrit
Yogi Adityanath expressed displeasure over not even a single math, ashram or temple having come forward to take the benefit of the government’s cow protection scheme
Chief Minister Yogi Adityanath on Thursday called upon religious organisations, including maths (monasteries), temples and ashrams, to come forward for cow protection and the promotion of culture and the Sanskrit language.
Such an academic venture to promote Sanskrit will get the government’s full support as the Vedic language is the basis of Hindu culture, he said.
He was addressing people on the concluding day of a weeklong programme organised at the Gorakhnath temple here to mark the 52nd death anniversary of Mahant Digvijay Nath and the seventh death anniversary of Mahant Avaidyanath, the former head priests of the temple.
He said eligible and competent teachers should be selected to run such Sanskrit colleges, and saints and ashrams of the Santan Hindu Dharma should ensure that no ineligible candidate came.
He also said, “Cow protection will not be ensured just by giving speeches but by faith, putting in efforts and becoming part of the system. The government is doing its own work (to protect cows) but people will have to come forward as cows can’t be protected with the attitude of taking milk and leaving cows on the roads.”
He expressed displeasure while disclosing that not even a single math, temple or religious organisation had come forward to take the benefits of government schemes aimed at protecting and conserving cows even after wide publicity and an appeal by the government.
Enlisting the steps taken by the government for cow protection , Yogi said the UP government was currently ensuring the same in three ways.
First, over six lakh stray cows were given shelter and being taken care of in government-run shelter since his government came to power in 2017.
Second, the government was already offering an honorarium of ₹900 per month to those who took home abandoned cows and looked after them, he said. The milk and other dairy products will be of the man who looks after such cows.
The third way is to provide a cow to families with malnourished women and children with a monthly stipend of ₹900, he added.
Praising Gorakshpeeth (Gorakhnath temple) for being involved in cow protection since long, Yogi Adityanath spoke about how bio gas was being used to cook prasad at the temple (and give free meals to the poor twice a day). He appealed to others to replicate this model for cow protection and energy conservation.
Praising Prime Minister Narendra Modi for his “visionary leadership”, the chief minister said that every individual needed to introspect to find out what he could contribute towards the nation’s development.
He said the Hindu religion can only be protected when the nation becomes strong and united.
“Anti-Indian elements will become strong if voices are divided. Mahant Digvijay Nath knew this and that’s why he came forward to keep Hindus united by focusing on samajik samrasta (social harmony) and abolishing the practice of untouchability,” he said.