Cows With Dignity: Revenge of the Bhains

Posted on December 7, 2008
Filed Under >Adil Najam, Society
17 Comments
Total Views: 35121

Adil Najam

Some people seem to find this video funny. I find it sad and slightly sickening.

The video shows a bunch of men from a neighborhood mohalla ogling at and sometimes provoking a frightened cow. In the process, the poor animal lashes out and kicks violently at various people who try to ‘control’ it. The tamashbeen seem to find this funny and, purposely or inadvertently, their reaction further instigates the frightened animal.

Frankly, what we see in this video is far from the spirit of sacrifice that the Eid qurabni is supposed to be about. I had first posted this here two years ago. My comment then, I believe, is still pertinent.

It is easy to focus on the antics of the cow, but I would urge you to pay more careful attention to the people in the video and especially to the comments of the person who is making the video and his companion.

That is the sad part. But not for some of the foul language that creeps in. What is sad is the joyous glee and excitement people seem to be expressing not only at the misery of the cow but also of those who are being kicked and hurled by the cow. It is not just that they are oblivious to the welfare of the poor animal; it is also that they seem genuinely excited (even happy) that someone got violently kicked by the frightened beast. [Some time ago] we did a related post on how people fail to react to the misery of others (in that case someone supposedly slapping a woman as a prelude to stealing from her). In this case its not just that they don’t rush out to help someone in obvious pain, it is that they seem to find that pain funny (this relates to a different discussion we had on why people ‘enjoy’ self-destructive behavior by others).

… It makes me think of the inhumane treatment we met out to the animals that are supposedly going to help us become better humans. Unlike Arab society 1400 years ago, where livestock was a prime unit of currency and commercial exchange (and, hence, of sacrifice) and where most people would have been well aware how to deal with and treat these prized possessions, most people (at least in urban Pakistan) have no experience or idea about how to treat any animal and one often seen purposeful and inadvertent cruelty inflicted on these animals, which are treated as a source of novelty rather than as living creatures worthy of our respect.

As I watch this video, it seems to me that the only one who comes out of this video with its dignity intact is the cow. I, for one, am rooting for the cow.

Speaking of cows with dignity, the bhains video we had posted last Eid was more docile but equally thought-provoking.

The comment I had made then is, I think, also still pertinent. This, too, I think is far far away from the spirit of sacrifice that this Eid is supposed to represent:

This is a Geo News report from Bakra Mandi, Walton, Lahore. Rs. 10 lakh (Rs. 1,000,000), Rs. 6 lakh (Rs. 600,000) for a cow and the bargaining goes on. “Babar” is a fine specimen for sure – weighing 35 mun, 4 year old, and drinking 10 kilo milk and eating 1o kilo of fodder a day it is being offered for Rs. 10 lakh (Rs. one million).

Is this a story about inflation? Or is it about showing off? And how does it connect with the spirit of sacrifice and sharing that the qurbani is supposed to be about? If the purpose of qurbani is sacrifice and helping the poor might it not be better to just take that money and distribute to the really needed who might find the case more helpful than a fine piece of steak? I understand the importance of ritual in any social and belief system. But the spirit of the ritual should count for more than its mechanics. No?

17 responses to “Cows With Dignity: Revenge of the Bhains

  1. Rasheed says:

    Eid Mubarak, ATP!

    The first video is disturbing, especially if filmed around the time of Eid Qurban.

    It’s hard to tell why humans around the world get kicks (no pun intended) out of torturing animals, especially cattle. Same is the case with the Rodeo sport, an American favorite, in which the bull’s privates are tied up to add to the “entertainment”. So is bull fighting and running with the bulls, which are European staples.

    I’m curious about the second video where the owners of one of the cows says he fed it kilos of milk (and did he say skin?). After the outbreak of the Mad Cow Disease in Britain, cattle rendering was banned from animal feed. The practice of using renderings, popular in the 80’s, is believed to have led to MCD (more properly called BSE). Soon afterwards, in the 90’s, Over a hundred people, mostly in Britain, died of a similar neurological condition called vCJD (the “v” added to indicate variance from the previously known CJD condition of elderly humans).

    My curiosity is to what extent the public in Pakistan is aware of the disease and the risk to humans who eat affected animals. The slaughter for food of “downer” cows – cows that have lost the ability to walk or stand – is banned in the US and Europe. This is because no amount of cooking can kill prions, the infectious protein that is believed to cause it. I’m not sure if there are new regulations in place in Pakistan and if cases of the neurological disease have ever been recorded in Pakistan – among cows or humans. thanks.

  2. Waqas Chaudhary says:

    This is sad and disturbing. Clearly, the entire purpose and meaning of sacrifice on Eid ul Adha is lacking here.

  3. Faraz says:

    This is just another instance of our collective stupidity. Scenes like this are very, no actually extremely, common during eid.

  4. ASAD says:

    You are right. This is really inhuman treatment and these people have no idea how to deal with an animal this large. My sympathies are also with the cow here. No wonder it is kicking people around like it is.

Leave a Reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

*