*Cow's Urine as Medicine!*
*Faith's leap into blind Alleys*
*Ram Puniyani*
Recently the BJP ruled Uttarakhand Government (Feb 2008) has announced that
it will procure cow's urine, on the pattern similar to the procurement of
milk by dairies, refine it and sell it to Ayurvedic pharmacies. Other BJP
ruled Governments are also working on similar lines.
Cow has been having a central place in the political symbolism of RSS
combine. The place of this symbolism may be only next to Lord Ram. On these
premises, so far cow has been projected as mother. In its major campaign
against minorities' right since 1950s, BJP predecessor Bharatiya Jansangh,
had undertaken a nationwide, *Desh Dharm ka nata Hai Gau Hamari mata
hai*(Cow is related to us through our religion and nation as mother)
and also
*Janm Janm Ka Nata hai Gau hamari Mata hai* (Cow is our mother in our every
birth). Since Muslims, one does not know why Christians were not targeted
for it, are not prohibited from eating beef and since many a butcher belong
to Kasai (butchers) occupation, this fact has been used to demonize the
Muslim community. We worship cows, they eat, they butcher cows! This has
been used to rouse the sentiments of majority community time and over again.
With Uma Bharati becoming the chief minister of Madhya Pradesh (2005) for a
brief while, she introduced cow based economy, funds for Goshalas (cow
sheds) were given from Government treasury, and her official residence
became the first such Goshala. Cow based economy aimed at promoting cow
products as the core of economy. The present effort now transcends the
earlier efforts as faith is being transformed into blind faith. The
Government's move to collect urine, to procure it, refine it and sell it as
a medicine defies all the logic of science and medicine. It is converting
the political symbolism into health related prescription which is fraught
with dangers.
As such urine is a product excreted through kidneys and contains the waste
metabolites. It can also contain the bacteria, bovine tuberculosis for
example, and other harmful germs and metabolic products. The biochemical
studies of urine have clearly shown its composition. There are some who
claim magic healing powers of drinking one's own urine, called Shivambhu,
the most famous consumer of the same was Morarji Desai. Some claim that it
contains antibodies which act against the harmful diseases affecting our
body, but analytically and biochemical it has not been proven so far.
Physiologically kidneys do not let the antibodies pass out of the body as
the molecular weight of antibodies is much more than the pore of the kidney
membrane. Of course when kidney is damaged, these antibodies can pass out,
not when the cow is healthy.
Murali Manohar Joshi, who as MHRD minister initiated the introduction of
faith based disciplines like Astrology, Paurohuitya (Ritualism) also
diverted some of the funds for doing cow research. One CSIR lab went to the
extent of obtaining a patent on a pharmaceutical composition contating cow
urine distillate and an antibiotic. Another CSIR lab, in collaboration with
a NGO undertook a study to see the effectiveness of cow urine in cancer
treatment. Our own ayurveda does not mention any medicinal use of cow urine.
Ayurveda as such has lot of valuable empirical observations which can be
deepened by rooting them on firmer rational grounds but that is shrouded in
mystery and faith and any questioning of it meets angry protesters, who
claim their faith is under threat. Baba Ramdeo does claim that his
'Ramdeosim' is scientific but forgets that the basic premise of science is
peer review, facing the questions and a constant transcendence of
inadequacies in our knowledge system. The faith based enterprise of Ramdeo
is too individualistic, too much dipped in faith and has too little to offer
on rational grounds. Same is the method of cow medicine, too much faith, and
that too of blind variety, too much assertion and zero scientific research.
One will like to explore the veterinary sciences to see if there is
something drastically right in cow's excreta in contrast to the excreta of
bullock or buffalo or a dog for that matter. Also one does recall the claims
of the section that cow dung has purifying effect. Impurity brought in by
the shudras touching of water was undone by mixing cow dung with the water
touched by a dalit.
The basic difference between medical sciences, empiricism, and grandma's
medicine needs to be understood before state Government investing and
promoting cow excreta, urine, for human consumption and application.
Mercifully one has not heard so far of such efforts to promote cow dung. The
present effort by the BJP government is an extension of RSS combine's cow
politics. It is totally against the understanding of modern medicinal
sciences and also has no mention in the traditional wisdom gained over a
period of time. In a way it is the translation of RSS combine's political
understanding in to the arena of application to human society. In some
Islamic countries, on similar lines, state sponsored research to undertake
the study on djinns to solve the energy problem. As per mythology djinns are
supposed to be infinite source of energy so why bother about oil and
electricity when these blessed beings can solve our problems for good.
Surely these will also prevent the wars which are taking place in the globe
for controlling the energy reserves. And not on a very different track,
Christian right is asserting creation science to oppose the theory of
evolution.
These efforts have no rational and scientific basis, something which our
constitution ordains us to follow in the public domain. Social auditing of
efforts, which affect human health are mandatory, control by bodies
sanctioning the drugs and other medicinal means are an absolute must for
public safety, all the claims of politics notwithstanding.
As such enough of politics has been woven around cow. Just a few years ago,
one of the eminent historians of Ancient India, Prof. D.N. Jha, came out
with a book on the dietary habits in ancient India, which showed that beef
was one of the major items consumed in Ancient India. The move to project
Cow as holy animal, mother, was a response to the non violence propounded by
Lord Gautam Buddha. With the rise of agricultural society the cattle wealth
was to be preserved. As people started embracing Buddhism, the aggressive
reaction of Brahmanism came up at theological, social and political level.
Cow was projected as the symbol of rising Brahmanism, as a counter to the
non-violence of Buddha, and has remained so through centuries. Many a Mughal
kings in deference to these sentiments, to respect the feeling of the
section of society, advised against cow slaughter. Babar in his will writes
to his son Humayun to avoid the slaughter of cows.
In Hindutva politics also there are many streams. While Savarkar called cow
as a useful animal, the other sections ignited the emotions against Muslims
around cow. Irrespective of that many a poor Hindus and Adivasi did consume
beef. Incidentally it is amongst the cheapest source of protein for the
poor. Many a surveys showed that a vast number of Indian communities consume
beef. RSS combine's propaganda went on to assert that Muslims are violent
and one of the reasons is that they consume beef. This is so much against
the pyschosoiological understanding of the human mind and the violence.
While one knows that beef is a staple diet in major parts of the World, one
also knows and modern psychological theories demonstrate that violence does
not emerge from diet but from social and political situations. Beef can
surely build muscle power in conjunction with proper exercises, but violence
is in the mind.
Undoubtedly one should respect those regarding cow as their mother. RSS
combines' many followers devote their lives organizing fodder and other
supports for Guashalas. Some of them, the upholders of Cow as mother, non
violence, go to the extent of justifying violence against dalits on the
ground that they were skinning a dead cow as happened in the killings of
dalits in Gohana. This cow urine in the pharmacy shops defies all the logic
and faith and is directly a threat to health of people of the society. Faith
can take such dangerous turns is to be seen to be believed.
--
Issues in Secular Politics
Feb 2008 II
Feed back-ram.puniyani@gamil.com
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