12 December 2008 PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/p>\n12 December 2008 PRESS RELEASE FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE<\/p>\n
RSPCA APOLOGISES AND GIVES A COW TO THE HINDUS <\/p>\n
Event: Press Conference – Prayers for the Anniversary of the Killing of Gangotri<\/p>\n
Location: Bhaktivedanta Manor and at the site of the building of the largest cow protection farm outside Europe and where Gangotri was Killed <\/p>\n
Date: Saturday 13th December 2008<\/p>\n
Time: 11.00 am. <\/p>\n
Tomorrow is the one year anniversary of the killing of the cow Gangotri by officers of the RSPCA at Bhaktivedanta Manor Krishna Temple in Hertfordshire. A year ago on 13th December 2007 officers of the RSPCA came on to the sacred 78 acre estate of the Krishna Temple and Gangotri was killed by lethal injection.<\/p>\n
The Justice for Gangotri Task force was set up with the mandate from the Hindu Community. They have been campaigning and lobbying the RSPCA and DEFRA for a year.<\/p>\n
The RSPCA have now issued an official apology to the Hindu Community for any offence caused by their actions. In an unprecedented move the RSPCA have agreed to give a cow to the Temple. The cow will be a Meuse-Rhine Issel cow, a hardy and high-yielding milker from Holland and Germany. The Temple have asked that the cow be already in calf, and say that if the calf turns out to be a bull, it would be used for field work at the Temple rather than being slaughtered as usually happens. <\/p>\n
DEFRA has published a protocol which will in future govern animal welfare issues.<\/p>\n
-Kapil Dudakia the chair of the Gangotri Task Force said, -The Hindu community was shocked at the events leading to the killing of Gangotri, however, over the past year we have worked steadfastly with DEFRA and also the RSPCA to seek a solution that would address the issues of concern to the Hindu community and also ensure that animal welfare remains a priority for all of us. We look forward to working with both the RSPCA and DEFRA so that such incidents can be avoided in the future.-<\/p>\n
The prayers to the mark the historic resolution will take place at Bhaktivedanta Manor on Saturday 13th December 2008 where Hindu leaders from across the country will gather to join temple priests clad in their orange and white robes in an authentic ceremony to mark the event at the site of the largest cow protection programme being built at a cost of 2.1 million pounds. Stuart Coyle the chief herdsman at this new centre said -This resolution will protect our cows at our large new centre opening in August next year and I believe the Temple and the RSPCA can now work together for animal welfare. The gesture by the RSPCA of donating a cow, has touched our hearts.- For more information, please contact <\/p>\n
Mr Vinay Tanna
\n07780 707060 (m) – To arrange interview with: Kapil Dudakia – Chair of the Gangotri Task Force Stewart Coyle – Head Herdsman of the New Gokul Project.<\/p>\n
Editors Notes: For more information, please visit the following web pages: http:\/\/www.justiceforgangotri.org\/ http:\/\/www.hinduforum.org\/Default.aspx- sID=808&lID=0 <\/p>\n
PHOTOS) Library pictures can be downloaded copyright free (no acknowledgement is required) http:\/\/www.flickr.com\/photos\/justiceforgangotri\/<\/p>\n
Further information and background The Apology Apology from the RSPCA to the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities:<\/p>\n
-The RSPCA as a charity will, by all lawful means, prevent cruelty, promote kindness to and alleviate suffering of animals.<\/p>\n
We share the above objective with the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities and realise that these communities through their faith strive to live in harmony with all creatures.<\/p>\n
The Society, recognising the hurt caused to the sentiments of these communities, and wishing to build a progressive relationship, apologises unreservedly for causing hurt and offence.<\/p>\n
The RSPCA is based on a profound respect for animals, something we share with the Hindu, Sikh and Jain communities and we look forward to working together to promote respect and caring, and to cherish all life.” <\/p>\n
The killing of Gangotri One year ago on 13th December 2007, one of Bhaktivedanta Manor- s recovering sick cows who was being treated by its keepers and professional vets with Reiki, acupuncture and massage was put down by officials from the RSPCA Bhaktivedanta Manor, the temple where the RSPCA killed Gangotri the sacred cow and sparked outrage amongst British Hindus. There have been many protests against the RSPCA including a peaceful but load protest outside the RSPCA head quarters and a mock slaughtering of a cow outside parliament earlier this year. This is also the place where work started on 3rd February 2008 on Europe- s largest centre for cow protection and organic lifestyles. The building will be completed in August 2009 -In Britain, 3.38 million cows and bulls are killed every year. Nearly all young bulls die before they reach their third birthday,- concluded Stewart Coyle, the head herdsman of the project. -But at New Gokul, we will demonstrate new ways of ethical, compassionate and sustainable farming.-<\/p>\n
Outrage by the Hindu Community<\/p>\n
This issue received considerable media attention both nationally and internationally, and Bhaktivedanta Manor received support from all the main Hindu organisations in Britain, including the Hindu Forum of Britain, Hindu Council UK, The International Society for Krishna Consciousness, The National Council of Hindu Temples, Vishwa Hindu Parishad, Swaminarayan Mission (BAPS), and the National Hindu Students Union. Hindu leaders expressed their outrage and frustration, considering the killing to be not only an entirely unnecessary waste of life, but also a symbolic attack on Hinduism itself, a religion of non-violence.<\/p>\n
http:\/\/www.justiceforgangotri.org\/<\/p>\n
The Protocol At a meeting with the Justice for Gangotri Taskforce, Hilary Benn, Secretary of State for Environment and Rural Affairs assured the community that a -protocol- would be defined by DEFRA on how to deal with animals at Hindu temples. The protocol has now been published by DEFRA. http:\/\/www.defra.gov.uk\/animalh\/welfare\/farmed\/on-farm.htm#en<\/p>\n
New Gokul – The Largest Cow Protection Centre in Europe New Gokul will open in August 2009. It will have a visitors centre and will provide insight into the highest care of cows and the ancient teachings of protecting all animals. The centre will have up to 60 cows. http:\/\/www.krishnatemple.com\/newgokul\/about.php<\/p>\n
Bhaktivedanta Manor: Manor, in Aldenham near Watford in Hertfordshire, is one of the largest Hindu temples in Europe and possesses 78 acres of land. In 1973 former Beatle George Harrison purchased the property for the International Society for Krishna Consciousness (ISKCON). A beautiful shrine was established in August 1973 by A. C. Bhaktivedanta Swami, who brought the movement to the West in 1965. Bhaktivedanta Manor, renamed in his honour, is now a theological college for fifty trainee priests. It has become the most important Krishna shrine in Britain, and on the festival occasion of Janmashtami, attracts up to 60,000 visitors. The shrine is acclaimed for its high standards of cleanliness and devotion. Amongst its parkland, lake and gardens, cows and bullocks graze peacefully in the pasture. The centre also includes courses and workshop training facilities, a monastic order, a fully equipped theatre room, and a nursery and primary school.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
The RSPCA have now issued an official apology to the Hindu Community for any offence caused by their actions. In an unprecedented move the RSPCA have agreed to give a cow to the Temple. <\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[3],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-6754","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-iskcon-news"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6754","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcomments&post=6754"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=\/wp\/v2\/posts\/6754\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fmedia&parent=6754"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Fcategories&post=6754"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.dandavats.com\/index.php?rest_route=%2Fwp%2Fv2%2Ftags&post=6754"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}By Bhaktivedanta Manor<\/strong><\/p>\n