“This Valentine’s Day, hug a cow”
India’s government has asked citizens to mark Valentine’s Day this year not by hugging your partner, but by hugging a cow.
The Animal Welfare Board of India said Wednesday that “hugging cows will bring emotional richness and increase individual and collective happiness.”
Hindu people worship cows as holy, and devout followers say the Western holiday goes against traditional Indian values.
Young educated Indians of all religions usually spend Valentine’s Day in parks and restaurants, exchanging gifts and holding parties to celebrate like any other Indian festival.
The current government has been promoting Hindu values. Hindus comprise nearly 80% of its nearly 1.4 billion people.
The cow is deeply respected by many similar to one’s mother. Most states in India have banned cow slaughter. The animal welfare board’s appeal asks people to go out and physically hug cows on Feb. 14.
Nilanjan Mukhopadhyay, a political analyst, said the message is “absolutely crazy. It defies logic.”
คำศัพท์
cow = วัว
hug = กอด
partner = แฟน
worship = บูชา, สักการะ
holy = ศักดิ์สิทธิ์
follower = ผู้ติดตาม
devout = เคร่งศาสนา
citizen = พลเมือง
emotional richness = ความร่ำรวยทางอารมณ์
increase = เพิ่มขึ้น
individual = รายบุคคล
collective = ส่วนรวม
traditional = ตามจารีตประเพณี
religion = ศาสนา
value = ค่านิยม
slaughter = ฆ่า
