COW SAMMAN ABHIYAN RALLY HELD

COW SAMMAN ABHIYAN RALLY HELD

28-JULY-ENG 15

RAJIV NAYAN AGRAWAL

ARA-------------------------A massive rally was held on Monday in Ara, Bihar, as part of the second phase of the nationwide 'Go Samman Abhiyan' (Campaign for the Honor of Cows), which advocates for ensuring the care, protection, and dignity of cows. Led by Rekha Manu Pathak, the rally saw the participation of a large number of cow protectors (*gosevaks*), saints, social activists, and cow devotees. Starting from Maulabag, the rally proceeded to the District Magistrate's office, where a memorandum addressed to the President, Prime Minister, State Governor, and Chief Minister was submitted through the District Magistrate.

As part of the campaign, a petition bearing the signatures of approximately 65,000 citizens was handed over to the district administration in the form of a pen drive and a formal memorandum. Campaign officials stated that these signatures serve to urge the central and state governments to make prompt decisions regarding demands related to cow protection and the honoring of cows.

According to the organizers, the 'Go Samman Abhiyan' has been underway for the past six months, led by saints, cow protectors, and cow devotees across the country. The campaign aims to secure the enactment of a central law to effectively ban cow slaughter and to prioritize issues related to cow protection at the national level. To this end, public awareness programs, foot marches, rallies, and signature campaigns have been organized in various states.

More than 30 key demands have been placed before the government through this campaign. These include the enactment of a central law prohibiting cow slaughter nationwide, conferring the status of 'Rashtra-Mata' (Mother of the Nation) upon the cow, freeing grazing lands from encroachment, establishing a central Ministry for Cow Welfare, formulating a central policy for cattle fodder, and implementing a cow-centric national policy across sectors such as agriculture, medicine, the environment, education, and human life. Campaign officials stated that during the first phase on April 27, 2026, petitions bearing the signatures of over 50 million citizens were submitted to the President, the Prime Minister, and the Governors and Chief Ministers of the respective states through approximately 5,000 *tehsils* across the country. They explained that the second phase of the campaign has been launched because the expected decisions regarding these demands have not yet been taken.

Under the second phase, reminder petitions are being sent to the government from all districts across the country. Those associated with the campaign state that the public awareness and signature drive will continue until a positive decision is reached on their key demands. They are confident that, backed by public support, the government will take concrete steps regarding issues related to cow protection and the honoring of cows.

During the rally, participants raised slogans in support of cow protection and appealed to the public to join the campaign. The event concluded peacefully, and a delegation submitted a memorandum to the concerned constitutional authorities through the district official.