Sacred to Hinduism, India 's majority religion, an estimated 35,000 cattle have found themselves out of favour in a city proud of its growing modernity and standing in the world.
Responding to a high court order to remove all livestock within a week, more than 100 cowboys armed with lassos and nets wrestled almost 300 head of cattle into trucks destined for local government pounds.
A drop in the ocean perhaps, but enough to satisfy activists that something is at long last being done to stem the cattle roaming the metropolis.
Cattle have wandered Delhi 's increasingly congested roads for years with almost total liberty thanks to the Hindus' reverence of the cow, the protection of radical Hindu political parties and illegal dairies with alleged links to local strongmen and politicians.
“The problem of cows and cattle on the roads has been bothering everybody. There have been many cases of accidents,” said HD Shourie, director of Common Cause, the consumer rights group which convinced the courts to force city authorities into action.
“It's ugly that this should be allowed to carry on but I think the problem is being reduced considerably.”
The court ruling followed a series of traffic accidents and violent incidents in recent months where ram paging cows and bulls injured and even killed innocent passers-by.
Delhi 's government and other civic authorities have been given the daunting task of clearing the streets of cattle by this Thursday or appearing in court to explain their failure to do so.
As herds of cattle still brazenly blocked rush-hour traffic in affluent south Delhi yesterday morning, it was clear that there would be some explaining to do.
The root of the problem lies in some 2800 illegal dairies which provide a living to thousands of cow hands, milkmen, security guards and their extended families.
“When we entered the first neighbourhood our staff caught some cattle and then people started agitating and stoning,” said city veterinary officer Dr SK Yadav. “But there were only minor injuries as the police controlled the situation.”
South Delhiites, accustomed to local authority inertia and frustrated by cattle-clogged roads appeared to support the new drive but some had mixed feelings, ranging from indignation and impatience to concern for impoverished urban farmers.
“There are numerous dairies in the area and poor people earn their living from those cows,” explained Vikram Gupta, who runs an internet café in upmarket Defence Colony housing estate, host to hundreds of stray cattle (not to mention dogs and the occasional monkey), attracted by the shade of its leafy streets.
“At the same time though, they bring foul smells and they are dangerous,” he adds. In the corner of his café stands a small shrine to the Hindu god Shiva, adorned with images of sacred cows and bulls, but the problem, he said, is not a religious one.
“The main problem is that the authorities are not tak- ing enough steps to clear the roads.”
At the current rate it would take two years or more to finish the job. Under pressure, yet unwilling to bet on a date for a cattle free capital, Yadav said the gloves are off.
“We are purchasing tranquilliser guns for those cattle who are furious in nature and violent … like bulls,” he said, adding that a 150-acre plot is being cleared in north Delhi to relocate all the impounded cattle. How to deal with thousands of similarly enraged urban farmers will no doubt be an even bigger task. |
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