CHICAGO: Members of Indian community here and across the USA are outraged over reports of a cow’s severed head with a bullet to it was left at a Hindu cow sanctuary in Jackson Township in Monroe County of eastern Pennsylvania.
This incident is believed to have happened early this month and the State police are investigating the case that is registered as ethnic intimidation.The cow is a symbol of life and should never be killed, according to Hindu belief.
Dr Shankar Shastri, head of the Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary, is a retired engineering professor who has dedicated his life to serving the Earth, Isvara, and these loving animals, As a part of its mission, he seeks to increase environmental conscientiousness and also provides education on holistic living.
A recent Sunday, Dr Shastri woke up to find a freshly severed cow head left on his front step. It is not known to whom this innocent creature belonged nor who committed this gruesome act of vandalism.
Such grievous inhospitality with potentially racist motivations symbolizes a grave disrespect to Sanatana Dharma (Hindu beliefs and way of life). In an era where racism and violence is being encouraged by top political voices, we have sadly witnessed a growing number of hate crimes over the past eight months.
None of the one score of cows at the Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary near Tannersville was hurt. The severed head was left where the Sanctuary head of the farm could find it. The sanctuary, Shankar Shastri’s labor of love, is a safe haven. The folks who live and work on the farm wonder why someone would go to all that trouble.
“We find motherly love in cow. If you show love and compassion they would reciprocate and in the process you overcome your hatred to anybody in general and you don’t need war,” Shastri said.
It was shocking and he could not think of anyone who would do something like this. He hoped this incident does not get magnified. “I don’t want to take it to the next level. I hope it is just a prank,” he said.
The Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary has been a safe haven in the Bangor area for nearly 20 years before moving to the larger piece of land in Monroe County.The cow sanctuary is considering installing cameras.
Hindu Students Council (HSC) has condemned this cruel act of vandalism.
Rajan Zed, president of the Nevada-based Universal Society of Hinduism, said that “Hindus are highly concerned” about the incident and asked Pennsylvania Governor Tom Wolf and Monroe County Chairperson John R. Moyer to reassure the community.
“It was shocking for the hard-working, harmonious and peaceful US Hindu community numbering about three million, who had made a lot of contributions to the nation and society, to receive such signals of hatred and intimidation,” he said in a statement.
He also commended the Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary, founded in 2000, for keeping ancient Hindu traditions alive in Pennsylvania by providing protective shelter to the cows.
Cow “is worshipped by Hindus world over. Rig-Veda, the oldest existing scripture of mankind, describes cow as aghnya (not slayable). Lord Krishna, shown as cowherd many times, is also known as Gopala (protector of cows).
“There is a belief that cow was created the same day as Brahma (creator god). Also referred as ‘Mother Cow,’ this divine animal, venerated from an early period, is the abode of many deities in Hinduism. Mahatma Gandhi had said, ‘I yield to none in my worship of the cow.'”
Madhu Patel
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