From Russia, with calf-love and much moo: Gau rakshaks can learn from the spectacle of how Muscovy cows are kept happy

From Raj Kapoor proclaiming “Sar pe lal topi Russi” to the Soviet centralised planning-inspired Nehruvian socialism, India and Russia have a long tradition of shared affinities and camaraderie. Now, these ties of friendship might be strengthened further by a report that Russian dairy farmers are going a new steppe forward in ensuring the well-being of their bovine livestock as the country’s all-too-short summer gives way to the bleakness of a long winter that causes human and animal spirits to sink along with the mercury.

In a hi-tech bid to keep their cows happy and optimally productive through the winters of discontent, Russians are equipping the milk-giving quadrupeds with special virtual reality (VR) spectacles that replace the grim and grey wintry landscape with simulated scenes showing green and sunny summer pastures.

Early reports indicate that the experiment has resulted in a quantitative and qualitative improvement in milk supply, which could enthuse our gau rakshaks to adopt a similar measure for their own kith and kin to dispel depression caused by the spreading pollution and the smog of scepticism from those who dismiss such cosseting of cattle as a load of bull.


To show solidarity with their Russie counterparts, our gau matas could wear saffron-tinted eyeglasses as a symbol of a new Non-Aligned Moo-ment.