Mangaluru: The Vishwa Hindu Parishad(VHP)-backed Govanithashraya Trust will celebrate its silver jubilee on Nov 15 and 16. Trust members highlighted the challenges faced by cow shelters and the state govt’s alleged apathy towards cow protection.Speaking to reporters at the Sharavu Mahaganapathi Temple on Thursday, trust president MB Puranik said the organisation was struggling to maintain its 11-acre shelter at Pajeer, Beejaguri, which currently houses 540 rescued cattle. He said the shelter depends entirely on public donations to meet its monthly expenditure of Rs 12 lakh to Rs 15 lakh.“There are two major reasons for the plight of cows today: our own negligence and the govt’s sheer apathy,” Puranik said, criticising the lack of financial assistance and inadequate enforcement of cow protection laws.“Despite having good laws in Karnataka, cattle traffickers exploit loopholes to transport cows illegally across the border to Kerala, where there is no ban,” he said.Questioning the govt’s responsibility towards rescued cattle, he said, “Cows rescued by activists from the hands of butchers and handed over through courts should not suffer for lack of fodder, water, or medicine under our care. Without the continuous support of society and donors, running an institution of this scale without govt aid would be impossible.”As part of the silver jubilee celebrations, a horekanike procession will depart from Kadri Temple at 2.30pm on Nov 15, followed by Gau Puja and cultural programmes. A Chandika Yaga and a symposium on ‘Cow Protection: Challenges and Solutions’ will be held at the Pajeer campus on Nov 16.Trust secretary Manohar Suvarna, treasurer and VHP pranth sahakaryadarshi Sharan Pumpwell, trustees P Ananthakrishna Bhat, Gopal Kuttar and Shivaprasad Konaje, and VHP Mangaluru district president HK Purushotham were present.
