Kohima: A planned event to install a ‘Gau Dhwaj’ (cow flag) in Kohima on September 28, as part of the nationwide Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra, has sparked significant controversy in Nagaland.
This comes after the announcement was on Sunday during a press conference at the Kohima Press Club office. The Yatra led by Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Maharaj of Jyotirmath aims to declare India cow slaughter-free and elevate the cow to the status of ‘Rashtra Mata’ (Mother of the Nation).
Avimukteshwaranand is expected to arrive in Kohima on September 27 to preside over the installation of the Gau Dhwaj. The event, which will be held from 9 AM to 12 PM, is expected to attract prominent cow devotees. Following the installation in Kohima, the leader will continue his journey to Imphal, Manipur.
This is part of the larger Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra, a journey that spans the capitals of all Indian states and union territories. The Yatra, which began on September 22 and will culminate in Delhi on October 26, seeks to unite cow devotees and raise awareness about the importance of cow protection.
The movement’s roots trace back to the 1966 Gau Raksha Andolan, which sought to end cow slaughter in India, and has been revived in recent years with the backing of Jagadguru Shankaracharyas and other Hindu religious leaders. The upcoming Yatra aims to reignite the push for stronger legal protections for cows, with the ultimate goal of enshrining the cow’s status as ‘Rashtra Mata’ in Indian law.
To mark the commencement of the Yatra in Nagaland, Brahmachari Mukundanand, a representative of the Shankaracharya and Yatra convener, along with co-convener Gobhakt Vikas Patni and Nagaland Yatra convener Swami Ratneshwaranand Tirth, addressed a press conference today in Kohima.
The Yatra will culminate in a nationwide Gau Pratishtha Mahasammelan on the occasion of Gopashtami in Delhi, from November 7 to 9, where a formal appeal will be made to the Government of India to end cow slaughter and bestow the title of ‘Rashtra Mata’ upon the cow.
However, the proposed visit to Nagaland has drawn strong opposition from local leaders, citing concerns over the imposition of food restrictions on a predominantly beef-eating population.
Kuzholuzo (Azo) Nienu, MLA and Leader of the NPF Legislator Party, has strongly condemned the upcoming Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra program citing concerns over the imposition of a cow slaughter ban.
In a press statement, Nienu expressed shock and alarm over the program’s aim to impose restrictions on citizens’ rights to choose their food, labeling it an infringement on individual freedoms. “As a public leader, I am duty-bound to protect the rights of my people,” he stated. “I vehemently condemn and object to these kinds of impositions,” he added.
Nienu further highlighted Nagaland’s history of opposition to such restrictions, recalling the Beef Festival Protest in Kohima in July 2017, where members of the Naga People’s Front (NPF) demonstrated against attempts to curtail beef consumption in the state.
In his statement, Nienu also pointed out the hypocrisy of the so-called Gau Rakshaks, questioning their focus on beef-eating regions like Nagaland while large-scale cow slaughter continues in other parts of India for export, particularly to the Middle East. He emphasised that many of the country’s top beef exporters are Hindu businessmen, listing prominent companies such as Al-Kabeer Exports Pvt. Ltd., Arabian Exports Pvt. Ltd., and P.M.L Industries Pvt. Ltd.
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“India ranks fifth in the world in meat production, with states like Maharashtra, Uttar Pradesh, and West Bengal leading the way,” he noted, citing data from 2022-23.
Nienu also expressed solidarity with the recent objection by the Arunachal Students’ Union to the Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra’s efforts to impose food restrictions on the Northeast.
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