Tharoor jibes at AWBI for withdrawing 'Cow Hug Day' appeal
Congress leader Shashi Tharoor on Saturday took a dig at the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), a day after the Government body decided to withdraw its request to celebrate February 14 as "Cow Hug Day." Tharoor, who is widely renowned for his witty remarks, asked if the government was "cow-ed" by the "jokes made at its expense" or if it was just "cow-ardice."
Tharoor's tweet on Animal Welfare Board of India
In a post on Twitter, Tharoor said it was possible the original appeal for Valentine's Day might have been an oral instruction that was misheard by a "Hindi Rashtravadi." The actual order must have said, "let them hug their guy," but it was misheard as "gaay" (cow) by a "Hindi Rashtravadi," which led to its appeal, the Congress MP further wrote in his post.
'Government 'cow-ed' by jokes made at its expense?' asks Tharoor
"Was the Government cow-ed by the jokes made at its expense or was it merely cow-ardice? My guess is the original appeal was an oral instruction: 'Valentine's Day: let them hug their guy'...the last word was misheard by a HindiRashtravadi as gaay!" Tharoor tweeted.
Here's the Congress MP's Twitter post
Animal Welfare Board's appeal to celebrate 'Cow Hug Day'
While February 14 is celebrated globally as Valentine's Day, the AWBI, a statutory advisory body, earlier this week issued an appeal to celebrate this day as "Cow Hug Day." Not just this, but it also urged the people across India to embrace cows, claiming that it would increase collective and individual happiness and also bring "emotional richness" to people.
Vedic traditions facing extinction because of Western culture: AWBI
The AWBI's appeal also claimed that Vedic traditions were facing extinction due to the current progress of Western culture in India. "The dazzle of Western civilization has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten. This issues with the approval of competent authority and on the direction of Department of Animal Husbandry and Dairying, Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying," it stated.
Where was AWBI when our cows died, ask dairy farmers
Furthermore, dairy farmers claimed the AWBI didn't even help them when hundreds of cows died recently from the lumpy skin disease. "Where was the AWBI when our cows died recently? We have not got anything as compensation. The milk production has decreased by about 15 to 20%," Dairy Farmers Federation of India leader Dayabhai Gajera was quoted as saying by The Times of India.
How people reacted to AWBI's Cow Hug Day appeal
While Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) leaders backed the AWBI's directive, it drew amused reactions from many, which reportedly forced it to repeal the order. "As directed by the Competent Authority and Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry and Dairying, the appeal issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India for celebration of Cow Hug Day on 14th February, 2023 stands withdrawn," an AWBI notice said.
Know about AWBI
Since its integration under Section 4 of the 1960 Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act in 1962, the Animal Welfare Board of India has provided grants to animal welfare organizations and advised the Government of India regarding issues related to animal welfare. However, the body issued an appeal of this kind (Cow Hug Day) for the first time in its history.
