Cow should be declared as the national animal of India, the Allahabad High Court stated on Wednesday, 1 September.
Justice Shekhar Kumar Yadav said that a bill should be brought in the Parliament to include protection of the cow within the scope of fundamental rights under Part III of the Constitution. He also said that strict laws should be made to punish those who talk about harming cows.
"The work of cow protection is not only of one religious sect, but the cow is a part of the culture of India and the work of saving the culture is of every citizen living in the country irrespective of religion.”Allahabad High Court
But, as the Allahabad High Court calls for a change of India's national animal, here's a look at why the tiger had been chosen for the position.
Why is Tiger the National Animal of India?
How the Tiger Became India's National Animal
While India's history with the symbolism of the tiger dates back to times immemorial, and even finds depiction on the Pashupati seal of the ancient Indus Valley Civilisation, the tiger was named the national animal of the country merely four decades ago, in 1973.
The declaration of the tiger's status as a national symbol of India had accompanied the launch of Project Tiger, a long-running scheme to preserve the nation's rich heritage of tigers.
The tiger had replaced the lion as India's national animal, owing to its widespread prevalence across various parts of the country.
Out of eight races of the species that are known, the Indian race – the Royal Bengal Tiger – is found throughout the country except in the north-western region.
The nation-wide presence of the tiger makes it an embodiment of the country's rich diversity and a denizen of its various terrains, rendering it a fitting symbol for India's cultural heritage.
The Tiger as a Paragon of Indian Values
The national symbols of India have been meticulously chosen to represent the qualities of the country and its socio-cultural ethos.
"These symbols are intrinsic to the Indian identity and heritage. Indians of all demographics backgrounds across the world are proud of these national symbols as they infuse a sense of pride and patriotism in every Indian's heart," the government of India website observes.
The government website also emphasises on the integral position that the tiger occupies in the definition of the values that India treasures.
"The combination of grace, strength, agility, and enormous power has earned the tiger its place as the national animal of India."Government of India
“Tiger is an incredible part of nature and the increased number of the big cats in India reflects the equilibrium in nature,” former Union Environment Minister Prakash Javadekar had said on the eve of Global Tiger Day 2020.
"Tigers are a kind of soft power India has to show on the international front," he had indicated.
The Present State of Tigers in India
Thanks to Project Tiger that has rejuvenated the significance of the majestic animal in India, the country is presently home to 70 percent of the global tiger population.
India has contributed immensely to the conservation of tigers, who had once been on the verge of extinction.
The tiger census of India for 2020, which revealed that the country has as many as 2,967 tigers – a huge rise from 1,411 recorded in 2006 – added another feather to the country's hat.
As India's efforts to preserve the tiger continue, the resilient creature has become almost synonymous with the country's image, a symbol of the its enduring culture.
(Corrigendum: An earlier version of this story quoted the order as stating that cows should be given fundamental rights. The story has been edited to reflect that the order said that protection of cows must be a fundamental right. The error is regretted.)
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