Hundreds of students and Hindu leaders will re-enact the RSPCA’s killing of the Bhaktivedanta temple cow Gangotri outside Parliament Square on Wednesday 13th February 2008. The procession which will start from Parliament Square and finish outside DEFRA will include singing, chanting, slogans, drums, cymbals, costumes, colorful robes and banners, and culminate in the mock killing of a ‘cow’ by protestors dressed as RSPCA officers.

The Hindu protest against the actions of the RSPCA will be held on the same day that a British delegation will pay their final respects to Gangotri by scattering her ashes in the holy river Ganges in the ancient pilgrim city of Varanasi in India. “Our travel to India is our final act of respect to Gangotri,” said Gauri Dasa, President of Bhaktivedanta Manor. “We are agonized by her killing and British Hindus also wish to voice their concern on the same day. Their protest in London is an expression of this desire.”

“The temple nursed Gangotri in a way no farmer could ever afford to do. The RSPCA seem to have missed the point that Gangotri was not being made to suffer. On the contrary, she had survived so long precisely because of the quality of care she had received. Our society must be able to recognize that just as we do not allow the euthanizing of human beings, Hindus do not accept the euthanasia of cows.” said Barry Gardiner MP for Brent North, who had initiated an Early Day Motion in the House of Commons against the killing of Gangotri.

Rickie Sehgal, a member of the Justice for Gangotri Taskforce and Chair of the Hindu Forum of Britain’s Membership Committee, said, “The RSPCA do not seem to be aware of the levels of resentment and anger in our community as a result of this despicable killing of Gangotri. We do really want some answers from them.”

Organisations that will take part in the protest include the Hindu Forum of Britain, National Council of Hindu Temples, VHP UK, Hindu Council of Brent, ISKCON, Swaminarayan Hindu Mission and several other national and regional Hindu institutions.

The RSPCA’ s killing of Gangotri

Last month, one of Bhaktivedanta Manor’s sick cows who was being treated by its keepers and professional vets with Reiki, acupuncture and massage was unfairly and forcibly put down by officials from the RSPCA.

The death of Gangotri, a Belgian Blue-Jersey cross, caused outrage among worshippers, who say that they were deceived. “This is shocking and duplicitous behaviour. We have been deceived by those who had given us their word,” Gauri Das, president of the temple, said.

Gauri das said that the RSPCA and police had given assurances that they would not take drastic action and that the temple would be allowed to form a legal case, but that they returned to kill the cow when many devotees were praying.

Over the Christmas period prayer vigils were held and protests were staged outside the RSPCA’s national headquarters in Horsham, West Sussex. There is now a planned 'Justice for Gangotri' campaign.

For more information, visit: www.justiceforgangotri.org