We are the legal guardians of the cattle family: Uttarakhand HC

In a first, the Uttarakhand High Court has invoked & lsquo parens patriae' clause which means & lsquo becoming a legal protector' for the welfare of cows and other stray cattle in Uttarakhand. The Court declared itself to be the legal guardian of members of the cattle family across the state. The order was pronounced on 10^th August and it included various steps for protection of cows in the state. The order has various Supreme Court judgments, teachings of Buddhism and Jainism, quotes from Mahatma Gandhi and Dalai Lama and excerpts from Upanishads, to stress upon the importance of caring for animals while giving a number of directions to the state government for their protection. The direction came while hearing a Public Interest Litigation alleging abandoned cows and bulls being slaughtered in Haridwar district. Laying stress on the importance of compassion while dealing with animals, the High Court has said that no pain or agony should be caused while dealing with the animals as cruelty to animals also causes psychological pain to them. The directions given to the state include ensuring banning of slaughter of any member of the cattle family, prohibition on selling beef or similar products in any form, providing medical treatment to all the stray cattle in the state, appointment of infirmaries to take care of animals, eviction of unauthorised occupants in gaushalas, adequate patrolling by state police in rural areas once in 24 hours to ensure no cow is slaughtered.