The Animal Welfare Board in India has appealed to citizens to celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14 this year as ‘Cow Hug Day’.
“The cow is part of India’s culture and rural economy,” says the appeal on the Animal Welfare Board’s website.
The Animal Welfare Board further says that ‘All cow lovers should celebrate February 14 as Cow Hug Day to highlight the importance of cows, add joy and positive energy to life.’
It should be noted that the Animal Welfare Board works under the Ministry of Fisheries of India whose responsibilities include animal protection.
The Animal Welfare Board’s appeal has become a topic of discussion on social media as well. Journalist Swati Chaturvedi wrote in a tweet that ‘Hug a cow on Valentine’s Day.
An Indian journalist wrote on Twitter that ‘Forget it all, tell me how to tell the cow that we are coming to hug them?’ And how to find out whether it involves the will of the cow or not?
Author Pria muda Gopal scoffed at the government’s move and wrote, ‘Will you be lonely on Valentine’s Day? The Indian government is advising you to hug a cow.
According to the Animal Welfare Board, the decision to celebrate February 14 as Cow Hugging Day has been made to reduce the influence of western culture in Indian society.