Meghalaya govt urged to stop ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra’

Shillong: Several NGOs and pressure groups have strongly urged the Meghalaya govt to stop the proposed ‘Gau Dhwaj Yatra’ by Gau Pratishtha Andolan (GPA), a movement aimed at stopping cow slaughter and elevating the bovine animal to the status of ‘Rashtra Mata’, from entering the state.
According to a statement issued by the GPA, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Maharaj of Jyotirmath is scheduled to preside over the installation of the ‘Gau Dhwaj’ and deliver an address here on October 2.
The Hynñiewtrep Integrated Territorial Organisation (HITO) on Friday wrote to CM Conrad K Sangma urging him to take appropriate action to prevent the proposed yatra from taking place.
“Such actions are perceived as a provocation to the religious sentiments of the Christian majority in the state. Beef is a staple food for the indigenous Hynñiewtrep and Achik communities, who have consumed it for centuries. Raising this issue in our region challenges our fundamental right to food choice and consumption,” the HITO wrote to the CM.