ISKCON extends its support to ban on slaughter of cows

MUMBAI: The Indian Society for Krishna Consciousness ( ISKCON) today extended its support to the ban on slaughter of cows, saying that rearing these animals would add much more to the economy rather than killing them.

"The cottage industry through cow protection and cow rearing is a wonderful model for rural development," ISKCON spiritual leader Radha Nath Swami Maharaj said in a statement issued here.

He said in the statement that with little investment, even a simple farmer owning a cow could manufacture products by using animal waste. Apart from medicinal benefits, utilising cow's waste products could generate revenue and this in turn, could help maintain the animal.

Due to growing popularity of Ayurveda, cow therapy is gaining acceptance in India. Cow dung, which is hailed for its anti-bacterial properties, is the best natural disinfectant, he said.

Another growing trend is use of cow dung in producing biogas, a cheap alternative source of energy used as a fuel for cooking or even produce electricity, the spiritual leader said.

At ISKCON's Govardhan Eco Village in Wada taluka, the traditional science of manufacturing cow products is carried out in a major way. Altogether 13 products are manufactured here and used by devotees in various cities all over India, the statement said.

The ISKCON product line includes soaps, toothpowders, shampoos, pain balms, incense sticks and health pills.