Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra

Vishwa Mangal Gou Gram Yatra
Campaign to protect cow needs to succeed
Beef is injurious to health
By OP Gupta IFS [Retd]

Cardiologists advise that meals high in animal fat raise blood cholesterol levels, which may cause arteries to constrict and blood to clot more rapidly due to release of thromboxane and factor VIII hormone leading to sudden cardiac arrests.

VEDAS prohibit killing of cows repeatedly declaring it aghanya. Nirukta (VI.43) explains aghanya to mean one that does not deserve to be killed. There are at least sixteen Vedic richas in which aghanya has been used for cows.

Mad cow disease or bovine spongiform encephalopathy [BSE] is known to spread from infected cows and cattle. BSE is a cattle disease in which brain of cattle becomes spongy. There is no test to ascertain in advance whether the cattle being slaughtered is BSE-infected one or not. There is no test to check that meat is BSE infected or not. Only postmortem confirms existence of BSE. There is no cure of BSE.

BSE is a transmissible, neurodegenerative, fatal brain disease of cattle. The disease has a long incubation period of four to five years, but ultimately is fatal for cattle within weeks to months of its onset. BSE in the brain affects the brain and spinal cord of cattle. The BSE agent is highly stable, resisting freezing, drying and heating at normal cooking temperatures, even those used for pasteurization and sterilization.

Some British scientists have alleged that BSE in British cows was caused by adulterated animal feed imported from India during seventies.

BSE belongs to a family of diseases known as transmissible spongiform encephalopathy [TSE].

In humans such TSE diseases are known as Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (CJD), variant CJD, kuru, Gerstmann-Straussler-Scheinker syndrome [GSS], and fatal familial insomnia. BSE jumps into beefeaters.

World Health Organisation [WHO] fact sheets 110 and 113 report that vCJD is strongly linked, probably through food, to BSE. Prion associated with BSE in cattle is the same as the prion associated with vCJD in humans showing link between mad cow diseases and vCJD.

While several human TSEs exist, CJD is the prototype human TSE. CJD occurs in a form associated with a hereditary predisposition

A newly recognised form of CJD, variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob Disease (vCJD), was first reported in March 1996 in the UK (cf. WHO Fact Sheet N° 180 on variant Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease). In contrast to the classical forms of CJD, vCJD has affected younger patients (average age 29 years, as opposed to 65 years), has a relatively longer duration of illness (median of 14 months as opposed to 4.5 months) and is strongly linked to exposure, probably through food, to BSE. Recent studies have confirmed that vCJD is distinct from sporadic and acquired CJD.

CJD is now admitted to be transmitted genetically from one generation to another generation in the family. Dr Frederick A Murphy, Dean of the School of Veterinary Medicine, University of California Davis replied in the affirmative when asked if there was any evidence that CJD can appear as a genetic disease. The prion protein in familial cases is the same in each family member that has it and different in all other families. The pedigree of prion can always be determined.

Kuru studies showed for the first time that a slowly progressive neurological disease of humans can be infectious, that is transmitted from one person to another (http://www.accessexcellence.org/WN/NM/madcow96.html).

There is bovine tuberculosis (TB) also with which cattle suffer and it too cannot be detected before slaughter.

Beef contains significant quantities of toxic organic chemical dioxin, which causes cancer, colon cancer, endometriosis, Attention Deficit Order, chronic fatigue syndrome, rare nerve and blood disorders, immune system deficiency etc. (www.cqs.com/beef.htm)

Beef harbours a deadly germ coli 0157:H7 causing food poisoning. Because of 0157:H7 contamination, 25 million pounds of beef was recalled in August 1997 in the USA. Ban on import of beef and mass destruction of cattle are often reported in USA and in EU countries.

Cardiologists advise that meals high in animal fat raise blood cholesterol levels, which may cause arteries to constrict and blood to clot more rapidly due to release of thromboxane and factor VIII hormone leading to sudden cardiac arrests. Saturated fat (which comes from meat and coconut oil) impairs ability of liver to remove LDL (bad cholesterol) from blood circulation. Higher levels of LDL cause blockages in heart.

In August 2002, Indian newspapers reported that Kerala generates and consumes the maximum quantity of beef in India, and beef constituted nearly 40 per cent of total meat consumed in Kerala. No wonder, due to deadly combination of beef and coconut oil, incidence of dyslipidemia and coronary artery disease (CAD) are on the higher side in those areas.

The Indian Medical Association, Kerala branch http://www.imakerala.org/cme/dyslipedimia.htm paper by Dr NG Kaimal of Alleppey (March, 2001) informs that in India there is a geographical variation for the prevalence of CAD, only seven to nine per cent in the northern region and twelve to fourteen per cent in the South. As it is well known, majority of people in the Hindi heartland in North India do not take beef. So it can be safely said that higher percentage of CAD in Kerala, Tamil Nadu etc is due to consumption of beef.

Vedas [RV.X.87] inform that agni [God] prematurely terminates life span of beef-eaters, so Vedas prohibit beef-eating, Now modern science admits that beef-eating has potential to cause deadly diseases [CJD, vCJD, GSS, etc.], which are non-curable, infectious as well as genetic, terminating family tree of infected ones at a faster pace than that of non-beef-eaters.

Eight richas of RV (VI.28) are devoted to cows as devata (deity). Twenty-six richas of Atharvaveda (IX.7) are devoted to worship of cows. Twenty-four richas of Atharvaveda (IX.4) are devoted to worship of bull (Risabh) as a deity. RV (VIII.101.15) more specifically commands not to kill a cow: "(She who is) the mother of the Rudras, the daughter of the Vasus, the sister of the Adityas, the home of ambrosia-I have spoken to men of understanding-kill not her, the sinless inviolate cow." Ambrosia means amrita.

Other four richas that command not to kill, not to harm cows are (VI.28.3,4,7) and (VII.101.16). There are seven richas in which agni kills/burns alive butchers of cows: RV(X.87.2-5,16,18,19).

For over thirteen years [1994-2006] I served as Indian Ambassador/High Commissioner to many countries and served twice as Consul General. Hosting/attending dinners is an important part of a diplomatic officer. At dinners I was often asked as to why I did not take beef.

This regular questioning made me study the matter on my own as the education policy devised by Maulana Abul Kalam Azad, Jawaharlal Nehru and Congress governments aim at keeping Hindus ignorant of basics of Hindu religion, though minorities get to study their religions in schools and colleges receiving grants out of taxes collected from Hindus. Congress Party is afraid that exposure to Vedas may unify the Hindu samaj, as Vedas command equality of all Hindus by birth. So, if basics of Vedas are taught in schools, game of divide Hindus and rule over them with help of minorities will collapse.

Some Hindu writers claim that Vedas sanction beef-eating. Their all pro-beef arguments have been demolished in my book Vedic Equality & Hinduism, which is

available at New Age Books at nab@vsnl.inand; Telephone: 011-25795180.

Mr Yahya Monastra has quoted a hadith in which beef has been declared to cause diseases. It is there in the famous hadith collection Zâd al-ma‘âd by Ibn Qayyim. The hadith in Arabic reads: "an suhayb radiya Allâh ‘anhu yarfa’ uhu: ‘alaykum bi-laban al-baqar fa-innahâ shifâ' wa-samnuhâ dawâ' wa-lahmuhâ dâ’."

The Urdu translation: hazrat suhaib raziyallâhu ‘anh se rivâyat hai keh huzûr-e akram sallá Allâh’ alaihi va-sallam ne farmâyâ:"gâ'î kâ dûdh isti‘mâl karnâ lâzim pakaR lo, kyûnkeh us men shifâ hai, aur us ke ghî men davâ kî tâsîr hai, aur us ke gosht men rog hai."

Free translation in English of this hadith: The Prophet, peace be upon him, said: "You should use cows' milk, because it is good for health, and cows’ ghee is good for health, but beef is bad for health." Actually, the literal meaning of the words the Prophet used is much stronger than that. He said that milk is "healing," ghee is "medicine," and beef is "disease". Yahya’s full article is there at http://www.crescentlife.com/dietnutrition/vegeterian_muslims.htm

The Indian Express [February 3, 2004] quoted Maulana Ansar Shah Kashmiri of Darul Uloom Waqf as saying: "We have been issuing posters and urging members of Muslim community to leave the cow for qurbani on Bakrid every year since 1947".

The Hindustan Times [February 2, 2004] in its report "Deoband School asks Muslims to avoid sacrificing cows on Baqr’id" quoted Mufti Habibur Rahman of Darul Uloom as saying: "As Hindus respected and worshipped cow, the Muslim community should sacrifice, instead of cows, other four-legged animals."

Jamiat Ulema-e-Hind president Maulana Mehmood Madani has been quoted as saying that Muslims should voluntarily stop killing cows and that Jamiat had passed a resolution more than a year ago to this effect.

Apart from social harmony angle I would say that on health considerations Muslims too should give up taking beef, as it is equally injurious to their health.

Because beef has potential to cause infectious and fatal genetic disorders many Hindus do not want to sell or let out their properties to persons suspected to be beef-eaters.

Let those who enjoy beef and, thus, self-invite non-curable family line terminating genetic diseases like vCJD do so openly without distorting Vedas. There is no justification to distort Vedas and, thus, cause more pain and anguish to millions of Hindus just to fulfil one’s own lust or taste for beef.

Vedas prescribe a lifestyle for disease-free hundred-year-long life span on human beings (Yaj 36.24 & 40.2) but if a Hindu opts to terminate his life span earlier, let him not blame Vedas for not having cautioned him. RV (I.89.9) reads: "Since a hundred years were appointed (for the life of man), interpose not, Gods, in the midst of our passing existence, by inflicting infirmity in our bodies so that our sons become our sires, i.e. let us not become so infirm requiring the paternal care of our own sons." RV (X.161) also says that life span of human is hundred years.

How many of we Hindus reach this age of hundred without inviting infirmities? The reply is, how many of we Hindus follow Vedas and Vedic lifestyle?

It is internationally known that Indian men and women (irrespective of religion) are genetically the most vulnerable group to cardiac problems, so, option is, whether or not, to further aggravate this genetic vulnerability by taking beef.

Beef exposes to dangers of contracting vCJD, cardiovascular diseases, colon cancer, etc-whether the beefeater is a Hindu, a Muslim, a Christian, a Jew or a Marxist with no religion. Diseases are secular and religion blind.

[The writer retired in the rank of Secretary to the Government of India in the Indian Foreign Service, 1971 batch. He can be contacted at www.opgupta.org]