Holy Cow

Let’s get something straight: cows are not holy. No one worships them. In fact, everyone pretty much ignores them. This is because the cows do not belong to them; they belong to somebody else. A lot of the cows seen roaming the streets are the property of someone. For a poor family, the cow may be their most valuable asset. That doesn’t mean that they take care of them. Usually, they can’t afford to feed them – especially when they are not producing milk. So, during the day, the cows are set loose to fend for themselves, usually eating garbage, or whatever else they can find. In the evening, they will find their way home again. If they are producing milk, the family will usually find a way to provide fresh hay and feed. Things are even worse for the bulls, who really only have one job to do, and it’s a part-time one, at best. The end result is that these animals wander the streets all day, clogging traffic, eating garbage, sitting in doorways, and generally behaving in ways that would make Gary Larsen proud. The free-roaming days of the cows may be coming to an end, however. At least in the big cities. There is currently a lawsuit pending in the Mumbai (Bombay) courts that will determine if the owners of new high-rise apartment houses can legally prevent renters from keeping cows in their apartments. I think it has something to do with the elevators.