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Hindu community betrayed by RSPCA

Date:

16 December 2007

In an act that will shock Britain's Hindu community, the RSPCA aided by a vet

and escorted

by police officers this morning secretly killed a cow at the largest Hindu

temple in Britain

while worshippers were at prayer.

The cow, named Gangotri, a 13 year-old Belgian Blue and Jersey cross, and much

loved by

the community, was killed at 9.00 am at the Bhaktivedanta Manor. Police bundled

away

monks who were in attendance of the sick cow, and the head farmer was kept

talking

while inside the barn a lethal injection was given to the cow.

Cows are sacred to Hindus, and the killing of a cow is considered to be an

outrageous act.

The killing of a cow at a temple amounts to religious sacrilege of the worst

kind.

The killing was conducted despite personal assurances given the previous day

from RSPCA

officers and police that due to religious sensitivities no immediate action

would be taken.

Concerns that they now had an extended legal situation on their hands, rather

than an

imminent action, caused the priests at the temple to contact sympathetic MPs who

then

contacted Benn MP, the head of DEFRA. Again, assurances were given from

DEFRA

that no immediate action would be taken.

" This is shocking and duplicitous behaviour " said Gauri Das, the head of the

community.

" We have been deceived by those who had given us their word. "

The religious concern of the Hindu community was evidenced recently by the

protests

surrounding the case where a temple bull in Wales, Shambo, had a notifiable

disease.

It was for this reason that, the previous day, RSPCA regional veterinary

Superintendent

Wass, accompanied by two assistants, together with local Hertfordshire

police,

had visited the temple and engaged in lengthy discussions with Gauri das, who

said: " They

expressed their sensitivities, and the police gave us their assurances that we

would be

given time to pursue a legal recourse. "

The cow was sick but had no disease. She was being cared for by temple residents

and

visiting worshippers, and was being administered pain relief.

The temple runs 'The Cow Protection Project' and allows old cows and bulls to

die

naturally.

Head Farm Manager and former Royal Marine Stuart Coyle explained: " Gangotri was

unable

to walk, but due to her condition there was some tolerable discomfort " .

For more information, including photographic images of the cow, please contact

Gauri das

on:

07809 548 673 (m)

07912 533 397 (PA)

07818 815 978 (Communications Secretary)

Editor's Notes:

Stuart Coyle continued in detail: " When she first became sick we called our

local vet and

followed all the recommendations he directed. Along with allopathic treatments

from our

local vet we have also administered a range of alternative treatments which

include

homeopathy, acupuncture, manipulation, massage, and reiki. "

" We did expect that she would pass on quite soon after going down however here

we are

one year and quarter on and she was still going strong.

We have one of our farm personnel who is specifically tasked to nurse her and

attend to all

her needs.

She was located in the most visitor-accessible position in the farm to enable

her to get

plenty of company and also to demonstrate an important aspect of Cow protection

wherein

our cows are cared for the entirety of their natural life.

Over the past month there has been a series of visits from various professional

persons

who have been requested to make a judgement on her condition. About one month

ago

our local vet came to visit her at the request of a visitor.

Last week on the 4th of December a Vet from the State Veterinary Service

(SVS) came to conduct a test on three of our cows and at the same time to look

at

Gangotri again at the request of a visitor to the farm. The Vet was informed of

our

position regarding cows and how we take care of them within our faith. Despite

this

information he wrote a formal letter advising us that we make arrangements to

kill the

cow. I have not received this letter yet but I was shown it when he visited

again on the 7th

of December.

On the second visit of the vet from the SVS he stated his opinion regarding

Gangotri and I

gave the position of the temple. He indicated on his departure that nothing

further would

probably come from it taking into count the seriousness of the cows connection

with the

Hindu Faith.

On the 10th and 11th (I wasn't available on the 10th) of December we were

visited by an

officer from the RSPCA who had also been contacted by a visitor to the temple

regarding

Gangotri. He had already been in contact with DEFRA.

He read me my rights under caution and proceeded to issue me with a warning

notice

stating that we should euthenase gangotri immediately. Later in the afternoon a

police

office came under the request of the RSPCA to also re-inforce the legal position

of the

RSPCA officer and the SVS vet. Both the RSPCA and police indicated that they

would not act

without any notification but reminded us that the legal wheels are now turning.

On the 12th of December we were visited by a senior member of the RSPCA

accompanied

by two other junior RSPCA officers. The RSPCA were also accompanied by two local

police

officers. During the visit the RSPCA pointed out their position regarding

Gangotri and we

informed them of our position.

During the meeting we were led to believe that we would have the opportunity of

taking

some legal action to stop the slaughter notice. The police indicated that we

would get time

to counter the slaughter notice.

The next morning - this morning - at 9am I received a call that the RSPCA and

police were

at the farm. On my entering the farm the police issued me with a warrant to

enter the

premises. At the same time the head of the RSPCA delegation stopped me and

apologised

about the action they were going to have to make.

During my protestations to the RSPCA officer another officer came and reported

that the

cow had already been killed. The senior officer had delayed me whilst they

sneakily were

killing our cow.

I immediately went to the barn to see a vet declaring the cow was dead

accompanied by

other RSPCA officers. "

For further information, please reply to Sanjay Mistry

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