Sir — This refers to the article, “Disowning a vile practice” (March 9) by Hiranmay Karlekar. To solve the intractable problem of useless cow abandonment and also gau-rakshak violence, once and for all, the BJP should set up a cow corporation and under it create ‘desi cow sanctuaries’ in each State as a ‘buy-back’ system for unproductive native cows and bullocks.
Alternatively, the Gobar-Dhan Scheme, which inter alia aims at increasing farming incomes through the sale of gobar (cow dung), must offer a remunerative Minimum Support Price to incentivise the maintenance of ‘unproductive’ cows. Cows, even if useless, yield precious products of dung and urine which are crucial to organic agriculture and bio-energy.