Union minister Giriraj Singh on Thursday backed the advisory issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India to celebrate ‘Cow Hug Day’ on February 14 saying everyone should love cows. The Animal Welfare Board of India has appealed to cow lovers to celebrate February 14 as ‘Cow Hug Day’ to make “life happy and full of positive energy,” drawing mixed reactions on social media.
When asked about the advisory, issued on the direction of the department of animal husbandry and dairying, Giriraj Singh, rural development minister in the Narendra Modi-led government, said, “It is a good initiative.”
The advisory body said that hugging a cow will bring “emotional richness” and will increase “individual and collective happiness”.
“We should love cows. I am happy that this mission has been started… You should also love cows,” he added.
The Animal Welfare Board of India in its February 6 notice said hugging cows will bring “emotional richness” and increase “individual and collective happiness”.
It also mentioned that Vedic traditions are almost on the “verge of extinction” due to the “progress of West culture” and that the “dazzle of western civilisation has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten”.
“In view of the immense benefit of the cow, hugging with cow will bring emotional richness hence will increase our individual & collective happiness. Therefore, all the cow lovers may also celebrate the February 14 as Cow Hug day keeping in mind the importance of mother cow and make life happy and full of positive energy,” the advisory said.
The welfare board called the cow the “backbone of Indian culture and rural economy”, adding that the animal represents “cattle wealth and biodiversity.”
