Jaisalmer: The Muslim community in Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer launched a signature campaign demanding that the cow be declared India’s national animal, calling for a complete ban on beef exports, with memorandums prepared for Prime Minister Narendra Modi and President Drupadi Murmu as part of the nationwide demonstrations.
The movement began a few days before Bakrid when several Muslim organisations rallied behind the demand made by Maulana Arshad Madani, president of the Jamiat Ulama-e-Hind (Arshad Madani faction), to declare the cow the “national animal.”
It stemmed from the need to curb political exploitation of the issue of cow slaughter, as well as to put an end to incidents of mob lynching and other atrocities committed in its name.
While many are advocating for the initiative to build a consensus within the community on this issue, some even intend to meet the Prime Minister and the Chief Minister in this regard.
In Uttar Pradesh’s Lucknow, Maulana Shahabuddin Razvi, national president of the All India Muslim Jamaat, wholeheartedly supported the demand. Siraj Qureshi, president of the All India Qureshi Jamaat, a prominent organisation of the Qureshi community involved in the meat trade, openly supported the demand to declare the cow the national animal. He affirmed that, if necessary, his organisation would seek a meeting with the PM in this regard.
Endorsing Madani’s demand, national vice-president of the Indian Union Muslim League, Kausar Hayat Khan, said it is technically sound and that the government should fulfil it with absolute sincerity.
When asked about Muslim organisations uniting on a common platform to forcefully raise this demand, Khan observed that this cause could only gain full momentum if all Muslim organisations came forward together.
In Delhi’s Seelampur area, Muslim groups staged a demonstration after the Eid al-Adha prayers on Thursday, May 28, demanding the same. Carrying placards and posters reading “Declare cow as the national animal,” members of the Muslim community marched through narrow lanes in New Seelampur.
A participant told PTI that the cow was “an important symbol of Indian culture and faith” and deserved to be accorded the status of the national animal.
The demonstration assumes significance as such demands have historically been associated largely with Hindu organisations.
(With inputs from PTI)
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