AATSU says no to Gau Yatra

ITANAGAR, 20 Sep: The All Arunachal Tribal Students’ Union (AATSU) has vehemently objected to the proposed ‘Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra’ in Itanagar, and appealed to the state government to not give permission to hold the rally.

The union said that the proposed rally, which is a part of a movement to declare the cow as the ‘mother of the nation’ and to ban slaughtering of the animal “directly interferes with the culture and dietary choices of the tribal people of Arunachal Pradesh.”

“Not only Hindu, Muslim, Christian, Buddhist, etc – we the tribal people are also citizens of this country. Our belief and faith shall also not be hampered. Without cows, every ritual and custom of our tribal people will be hampered,” the AATSU said in a letter to the home minister.

Describing the proposed yatra as an anti-tribal activity, the union said: “Our union will not tolerate anything which is against our indigenous rights, and which will hamper our rituals, belief, practices and faiths.”