?The cow is not only the identity of this nation but also backbone of our economy. If it is not saved today, the nation will not survive long. In fact, the cow and her progeny will not be saved until the farmers are educated on its usefulness and they voluntarily resolve not to sell them to the butchers,? said Shankaracharya Madhavashram. He was speaking at the foundation day celebration of Bhavya Jagjanani Darbar, a prime religious place in Ghaziabad, on January 26. Bhavya Jagjanani Darbar is the temple in Loni where apart from lakhs of regular devotees, hundreds of Muslims too visit every year. A local singer, Raisuddin Khan, sang two songs highlighting the plight of a cow when she is slaughtered by butchers and also praising the Bharatmata and Indian values.
Paying tribute to the martyrs and the great personalities who sacrificed for protection of the cow, the Shankaracharya said all the freedom fighters, great personalities and saints of the country stressed on cow protection but the government of independent India has completely failed to fulfill their aspirations. He said the farmers who are easily trapped in the net of butchers, need to be educated about the importance and usefulness of the cow and her progeny. ?It does not mean that the government has no role in this task. A central law must be enacted forthwith in the country to protect the cow. Those who are making money with beef selling are anti-national and they must be sternly punished,? he said.
Addressing the gathering of thousands of people, Pt. Jai Kumar Sharma, director of the Bhavya Jagjanani Darbar, appealed to the devotees to eradicate social evils and be committed to their traditional values. Shri Sharma, who is popularly known as Jalwale Guruji, said at the time when the whole world is looking at India for peace and guidance, we the Indians are blindly following the western countries. He stressed on simple living. He pointed out that besides the religious activities, the Darbar also help in performing the marriages of economically deprived girls and also extend help in construction of temples. The Darbar conducts pilgrimage to the nine Shaktipeeths in which thousands of devotees participate every year. So far, over 30,000 pilgrims have participated in the pilgrimage, which is conducted twice a year. He said during the last 13 years about 60,000 people have abandoned addiction after visiting the Darbar. (FOC)
