It’s known as one of Delhi University’s premier institutions, ranked 14 for colleges under the Government’s National Institutional Ranking Framework (NIRF). But this year, Hansraj College’s bio has a unique addition that has already sparked a buzz — a cow protection and research centre.
Called Swami Dayanand Saraswati Gau-Samwardhan ewam Anusandhan Kendra, the centre has been started with one cow and, according to principal Dr Rama, will be expanded “if the research that is done proves to be useful and beneficial”.
According to the principal, the centre will not just do “research on various aspects of the cow”. It will also provide “pure milk and ghee” for the students, and for the monthly “havan” (prayer ritual) conducted on the campus, she said.
“Ours is a DAV Trust college, and its base is the Arya Samaj. In line with that tradition, we hold a havan on the first day of every month, which may be attended by all teaching and non-teaching staff and students. During that (havan), we felicitate all the people who have their birthdays that month. For this, every month, we need to go to the market to buy the things that we need to offer to the flame, such as pure ghee. We can be self-sufficient now in this,” she said.
Currently, the cow centre is an enclosure located by the college gate for the men’s hostel. But there’s more to come. The principal says the college is working on a gobar gas plant, which can be supported by the centre. “Apart from this, we can do research on various aspects of the cow. Another idea is that when the hostel opens, there can be pure milk and pure curd for the students,” she said.
Delhi University officials are not sure if similar initiatives exist in other DU colleges. “I was not even aware of this particular project. It must be an initiative taken at the college’s level,” said Registar Vikas Gupta.
But then, not everyone on campus is onboard.
The Hansraj College unit of the CPI(M)’s Students’ Federation of India (SFI) has alleged that the cow centre has been set up on land earmarked for a women’s hostel — the college currently has only a men’s hostel.
“SFI Hansraj unconditionally condemn and protest the construction of a GauShala…at the very site which was reserved for a women’s hostel whose construction has been on hold for many years now… We find it disgusting that our college administration prioritises the ‘protection and promotion’ of cows instead of struggling female students whose interests are being sidelined for such an absurd decision,” read a statement issued by the SFI.
This story first appeared on indianexpress.com
