Question

Do elephants and cows present an interesting dichotomy when viewed from the perspective of property rights?

Answer 1

When it comes to saving endangered species, many people have the instinctive reaction that that the policy answer is to pass a law that forbids disturbing or hurting the species. Economists have long pointed out that while such a law may be a useful first step, the incentives of those who live locally to avoid hurting the animal and to protect its habitat matter a lot. If finding an endangered species on your land means that you are deprived of the use of that land, there is a counterproductive incentive, as the old saying goes, to "shoot, shovel, and shut up." In low-income countries, in particular, protecting endangered species and their habitat will require active cooperation of nearby villages and farmers.

A classic example is whether to allow hunting of elephants in Africa.

When it comes to saving endangered species, many people have the instinctive reaction that that the policy answer is to pass a law that forbids disturbing or hurting the species. Economists have long pointed out that while such a law may be a useful first step, the incentives of those who live locally to avoid hurting the animal and to protect its habitat matter a lot. If finding an endangered species on your land means that you are deprived of the use of that land, there is a counterproductive incentive, as the old saying goes, to "shoot, shovel, and shut up." In low-income countries, in particular, protecting endangered species and their habitat will require active cooperation of nearby villages and farmers.

A classic example is whether to allow hunting of elephants in Africa.

The Hindu religion recognises the rights of animals to co-exist with humans; therefore,
people are taught to love, nurture and worship them. The religion promotes the belief that
various Hindu gods and goddesses incarnate in various animal forms. In the past, kings and
emperors used various species of animals in their emblems to show their respect. Many
festivals in India are still being celebrated to honour different animals (Agoramoorthy &
Hsu 2006).
From a source of milk to a provider of labour and religious inspiration, cows
often play a prominent role in Hindu society. To the population of 900 million Hindus
spread across the Indian sub-continent and elsewhere, the cow is a holy animal that cannot
be harmed. The faith first evolved near the Indus River valley nearly 3,000 years ago; re-
specting the cow remains a central theme in the daily lives of the Hindu faith even today.
Many scholars say early Hindus ate beef, but ultimately came to see the cow as sacred to
be esteemed and not eaten. India’s legendary leader of the nonviolence movement, Mahat-
ma Gandhi said, ‘If someone asks me what the most important outward manifestation of
Hinduism was, I would suggest that it was the idea of cow protection’ (Gandhi 1927).
In this paper, we discuss the sociological, cultural and religious implications
involving the sacred cow in Hindu society in India. We also suggest some strategies for
the potential future use of sacred cows to enhance eco-friendly living in India.

The cow is the most sacred of all the animals of Hinduism. It is known as Kamadhenu,
or the divine cow, and the giver of all desires. According to legend, she emerged from the
ocean of milk at the time of samudramanthan or the great churning of the ocean by the
gods and demons. She was presented to the seven sages, and in the course of time came
into the custody of sage Vasishta, the teacher of Ram (hero of the epic Ramayana). Her
legs symbolise four Vedas; her nipples four Purushartha (or objectives, i.e. dharma or
righteousness, artha or material wealth, kama or desire and moksha or salvation); her horns
symbolise the gods, her face the sun and moon, and her shoulders agni or the god of fire.
She has also been described in four other forms: Nanda, Sunanda, Surabhi, Susheela and
Sumana (Ganapathi 2005).
Legends also state that Brahma gave life to priests and cows same time so that
the priests could recite religious scriptures while cows could afford ghee (clarified butter)
as offering in rituals. Anyone who kills cows or allows others to kill them is deemed to rot
in hell as many years as there are hairs upon his body. Likewise, the bull is depicted as a
vehicle of Lord Shiva: a symbol of respect for the male cattle.
The Nandi (bull) located at the Shiva temples at Thanjavur, Rameshwaram
and Mahabalipuram are the most venerated bovine shrines in the Tamil Nadu State of
southern India. Similarly, large numbers of pilgrims also visit the 16th century bull tem-
ple at Bangalore (Karnataka State) and 11th century Nandi temple at Kajuraho (Madhya
Pradesh State). The Vishwanath temple of Jhansi built in 1002 AD also harbours a large
bull (Ganapathi 2005).
The cow was revered as a mother goddess in the Mediterranean civilisations. The
cow became celebrated in India, first during the Vedic period (1500–900 BCE) as a symbol
of wealth. Bulls were sacrificed to the gods, and people ate their meat. Nonetheless, the
slaughter of milk-producing cows was prohibited. The Rig veda refers to the cow as devi or
goddess. Although meat-eating was permitted in the Vedic period, the scriptures encouraged
vegetarianism. An example is the Laws of Manu, which states that there is no sin in eating
meat, but abstention brings great rewards (Buhler 1964). In the Mahabharata, Bhishma
(grandfather of the leaders of warring factions) observes that the cow acts as a surrogate
mother by providing milk to human beings for a lifetime, so she is truly the mother of the
world. The Puranas state that nothing is more religious than the gift of cows. In the epic
Ramayana, Rama was given a dowry of many cows when he married Sita (Dutt 2009).
The sanctity of cow may have been based on economic reasons. During the Vedic
period, cattle played a significant source of wealth for the predominant pastoral commu-
nities, which is similar to the Masai tribe in East Africa today. The five key “products”
of the cow include milk, curds, ghee butter, urine and dung; they are used in daily lives,

worship and rituals. Cows provide milk that helps to sustain lives of adults and children.
The milk by-products such as yoghurt, buttermilk, butter, and ghee are an integral part of
people’s daily diet in India. Cow dung is widely used for fuel in rural areas; people also
use the dung to clean house floors and walls; cow dung has been scientifically proven to
have antiseptic value. Hindus do not share the Western repulsion towards cow excrement,
but instead consider it a natural beneficial product. Being tame, cattle are an excellent
beast of burden; they pull carts, and plough the field to plant crops. Even after death, their
skins are useful to human.

Conclusion
To overcome the degradation of natural resources in developing countries such as India, with
a population of over one billion inhabitants, is not all that easy (Starke 2008). Therefore,
it is about time for India’s religious leaders, politicians and policy makers to relook into
the availability of millions of cows across India so that religiously non-conflicting strate-
gies can be promoted towards sustainable development in rural areas. Wandering cows
can be rescued and rehabilitated at government/corporate-managed ranches where their
dung can be harvested daily to promote cost-effective biogas technology. Such ranches can
serve not only as animal shelters but also as educational centres to promote public awareness
on cows, Hinduism, renewable energy, rural economy and sustainable development. When
the energy potential of the cow dung is fully realised in the country, people will not allow
their cattle to roam aimlessly on the streets. Furthermore, the alternative renewable energy
source of cow dung will significantly reduce pressure on India’s forests, soil and associated
terrestrial ecosystems, ultimately mitigating global warming while enhancing ecological
conservation. If the above proposed suggestions are implemented, the Indian society can
resolve two issues: cows can continue to remain to be worshiped and they can at the same
time be economically useful. This contemporary animal-friendly developmental approach
will bring religion and economy closer once again.