Shivraj Singh Chouhan 2.0 Has Room For A Cow Cabinet, And Seems Ready For Cow Protection And Cow Politics In Madhya Pradesh

Madhya Pradesh chief minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan recently announced the setting up of a 'gau cabinet' (a cabinet for cows) for the protection and care of cattle in Madhya Pradesh.

The first meeting of the newly-constituted ‘gau cabinet’ was held on the occasion of Gopashtami, a festival dedicated to the worship of Krishna, cows and Krishna's love for cows.

The meeting was conducted over video conferencing between Bhopal and the Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya situated in Agar Malwa, with an aim to bolster the economy based on cows, for environment, agriculture and farming, to defeat malnutrition and for health.

The meeting was chaired by Chouhan himself.

At the meeting Chouhan said that the protection of cows and working towards a cow-assisted economy, along with exploring the benefits of cows for environment, agriculture and farming, to defeat malnutrition and for health, is not a task meant for the animal husbandry department alone.

He added that this is the reason for the setting up of a separate cabinet for cows.

The Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya -- India’s "first cow sanctuary" was set up by the Chouhan-led government in 2017 (the previous term before the Kamalnath government came to power).

A section of the local media has mentioned that the convincing win for the Bharatiya Janata Party in the state bypolls seems to have given Chouhan the confidence to go for some decisions he would not take a clear stand on earlier.

The cow plays an important role in Madhya Pradesh politics.

Chouhan's decisions towards the protection of the cow is one of the aspects. The Kamalnath government had announced the establishing of gaushalas (homes for cow protection and care) across the state, but it was shunted out of power before the announcements could actually be implemented on ground.

A section of the local media says that Chouhan is taking the protection of cows with energy, promising research on allied aspects. For his work on cows, he is sure to get the support of the party's strength.

The Kamalnath government was calling for the privatisation of the Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya for improvements in the facility. The issue is likely to not go unaddressed by Congress.

The issue of cow protection has a direct relation with people and there are challenges that Chouhan will have to be prepared to take regarding the Kamdhenu Gau Abhyaranya and the protection of cows in the state.

In this inning, Chouhan is taking a call on the protection of cows with some clarity and making it part of his culture quotient.