- Authorities wanted to rename this Valentine’s Day Cow Hug Day.
- The move appears to have backfired and been abandoned.
- It triggered a torrent of internet memes.
Cows have long been revered as a symbol of both the Earth and divinity by India‘s majority Hindu population.
Indeed, the animals are so revered that authorities wanted to rename this Valentine’s Day “Cow Hug Day,” expecting that the move would increase citizens’ “emotional richness” while also striking a blow to local traditions over what is perceived as a western cultural import.
However, the move appears to have backfired and been abandoned after it triggered a torrent of internet memes, cartoons, and jokes about the necessity of consent from TV hosts.
The declaration of February 14 as “Cow Hug Day,” had come in a statement Monday from the Animal Welfare Board of India, which called cows the “backbone of Indian culture and rural economy.”
The cow is “the giver of all, providing riches to humanity” due to its “nourishing nature,” said the agency, a statutory body that advises India’s Ministry of Fisheries, Animal Husbandry, and Dairying.
It stated that the movement to hug cows was part of an effort to promote “Vedic,” or sacred Hindu practices, which had been undermined by Western influence.
Vedic traditions
“Vedic traditions are almost on the verge of extinction due to the progress of (western) culture over time,” the statement said. “The dazzle of western civilization has made our physical culture and heritage almost forgotten.”
However, the plan appears to have been abandoned within a week of the announcement, following days of online scorn and contempt.
For days, media sources have mocked the government’s proposal, releasing satirical drawings of cows fleeing romantic men, while internet users have reveled in posting recordings of violent clashes between beast and man.
An anchor from one of India’s top English-language news networks was even seen on camera attempting to embrace numerous cows, who appeared to reject his attempts.
“Consent is important,” he joked during the segment.
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