'Go into maintenance of Goshalas; submit report in 2 months'

The Madras High Court has directed a government-appointed committee to go into the maintenance of 'Goshalas' (cow shelters) in temples of Tamil Nadu which are under the supervision of the Hindu Religious and Charitable Endowments department.
The first bench, comprising Chief Justice Sanjay Kishan Kaul and Justice M.Sathyanarayanan, stated this while directing the three-member committee to submit its report to the court within two months from today.
The committee members are L Ananda Padmanabhan, Joint Director of the Office of Directorate of Animal Husbandary and veterinary Sciences, Chennai, Dr.Sumathi, Veterinary Surgeon, representing Animal Welfare Board of India, Chennai and petitioner Radha Rajan, author and animal activist.

Radha Rajan submitted that despite numerous enactments and clear guidelines by the High Court, authorities had grossly neglected their duties of both administration of temples and prevention of cruelty to animals.
She submitted that inaction on their part to obey the court orders ought to attract strict action.
Earlier, she had filed a PIL alleging that cows donated by various pilgrims to various famous temples in the state were sold to third parties as they were not yielding milk.

She also alleged that famous temples like Arunachaleswarar in Thiruvannamalai to which people donated cows were not kept in good condition in Goshalas, despite some donors giving Rs 10,000 as maintenance.

Radha Rajan said HR&CE is a public trustee which has a legal duty to protect the strong Hindu beliefs on behalf of Hindus and that the Animal Welfare Board and the animal husbandry department have neglected their duty to protect animals from suffering such cruelty.
It was regrettable that even the matter was published in newspaers, the Joint Commissioner of HR&CE has 'misused' the occasion to disparage the activists rather than setting right the machinery to provide immediate succor to the animals.
The High Court had also issued 15 guidelines on the matter on April 25, 2001 towards maintenance of goshalas, which were not even followed by the authorities, she alleged and sought a direction to appoint a monitoring committee in this regard.

The bench then directed the committee to go into the position of goshalas in the context of guidelines in the earlier High Court order and submit a report in two months.