வெள்ளைக்கார அரசாங்கம் வருகிறதற்கு முந்தி ஊருக்கு ஊர், கிராமத்துக்கு கிராமம் பசுக்களுக்கென்றே பிரத்யேகமாக மேய்ச்சல் பூமி சாஸனமாக விடப்பட்டிருக்கிறது. கோக்ஷேமத்துக்குள்ள முக்யத்வம் தெரியாத வெள்ளைக்கார அரசாங்கம் அந்த பூமிகளையும் தர்க்காஸ்தாகக் கொடுத்து விட்டது. பசுவின் வயிற்றில் அதிலிருந்து அடி விழ ஆரம்பித்தது. அதே மாதிரி, மந்தைக் கரைக்குளம் என்று பசுக்களுக்காகவே முன்காலத்தில் இருந்த குளங்களும் இப்போது எடுபட்டுவிட்டன. Minor irrigation works – சிறிய நீர்ப்பாசனத் திட்டம் -– என்று அரசாங்கத்தில் போடுவதில் இந்த மந்தைக் கரைக் குளத்தையும் சேர்த்துக் கொள்ள வேண்டும்.
அநேக க்ராமங்களாக இருந்தவை உருமாறித்தான் இன்றைய சென்னை மாநகராகியிருக்கிறது. இப்போது மந்தைவெளி என்று இருக்கிற பேட்டை ஆதியில் மேய்ச்சல் பூமியாகவே இருந்திருக்கிறது. அமிஞ்சிக்கரையை அமைந்த கரை என்கிறார்களே, அது மந்தைக்கரை குளமாகத்தான் இருந்திருக்க வேண்டும். – ஜகத்குரு ஸ்ரீ சந்திரசேகரேந்திர சரஸ்வதி ஸ்வாமிகள்
Though there is no use speaking about it, I’m unable to refrain from saying it too. Prior to British rule in India, in each town and each village, grazing fields meant specifically for cows, were given as grant. The British government which was unaware of the importance of cow protection had given away these lands as unproductive. From then on feeding the cows met with a blow. Similary ponds which were created solely for the drinking purposes of cows called ‘Mandhaikkarai Kulam’ have gone out of existence too. Among the projects of the present government under ‘Minor irrigation works’, this ‘Mandhaikkarai Kulam’ should also be included.
Many villages of olden days have transformed to give birth to the present day city called Chennai. The area called ‘Mandhaiveli’ today had been a grazing field for cattle once upon a time. Another area called ‘Amaindhakarai’, colloquially called as ‘Aminjikkarai’, must also have been a ‘Mandhaikkarai Kulam’ for the cows. – Jagadguru Chandrasekharendra Saraswathy Swamigal
Categories: Deivathin Kural, Golden Quotes
The British colonialists did not act out of ignorance of the importance of the cow and cattle population, and its significance for an agricultural country like India. They acted deliberately to kill the cows. The British were terrible beef eaters. As their numbers in the armed forces increased, and to meet the demand of the white civilian population, they resorted to killing cows deliberately. For this they engaged Muslims as butchers. Hindus rose up and agitated and in the beginning , slaughter houses were set up in the cantonment area, and not adjacent to any Hindu settlement. The rulers of the princely states of Rajasthan demanded in writing from the British that they would not resort to killing cows within their territories. The British did not give that in writing , but agreed to respect their sentiments. However, like all British promises, this was never kept in spirit.
There were widespread agitations all over India against kine killing between 1880 and 1893. It assumed very serious proportions. Even Queen Victoria admitted that though the agitation also appeared to be against Muslim butchers, it was really against the British who killed far more cows for their army, etc. In fact, for many years before the British came, Indian Muslims had given up killing cows for Bakr-Id and joined Hindus in the agitation against kine killing. The British sensed that this was dangerous to them if both Hindus and Muslims joined hands. So through their wile, guile treachery deception, duplicity and double dealing, they divided Hindus and Muslims. They also did not stop or reduce cow killing. The agitation against cow killing was brutally suppressed. Gandhi estimated that by 1917, they were killing 30,000 cows daily for beef for their army alone.
[ These details can be read in the book: “”The British Origin of Cow-Slaughter in India”, by Dharampal and T.M.Mukundan, 2002]
Gandhi was very active in the movement for cow protection. It was very clear that when freedom came. more than 90% of Indians were against killing cows-including many Muslims.
In the Constituent Assembly, almost all were for banning cow slaughter, except the English educated and the Anglicised elite. Unfortunately, the drafting of the Constitution fell into their hands, who did not respect the opinion and sentiments of the majority of the people and did not make the provision.
Under Nehru, India continued to follow the British colonial policy. The Planning Commission was in favour of cow slaughter both for the sake of hides and export of beef, even as late as 2002..
Even today, the overwhelming majority of Indians-even meat eaters- do not approve of the killing of cows. But they are powerless against the thin elite top bureaucrats and others who rule the country.
Recently, Karnataka High Court said that the village grazing land meant for cattle could be used by govt for other purposes, like building hospital.
On the one hand, people and organizations talk about animal rights, while our governments and judiciary give rulings against cow protection.
Unless Hindus organise themselves and agitate, nothing will happen.