READER:  Now I would like to know your views about cow protection.

EDITOR:  I myself respect the cow, that is, I look upon her with affectionate reverence.  The cow is the protector of India, because, it being an agricultural country, is dependent on the cow’s progeny.  She is a most useful animal in hundreds of ways.  Our Mahomedan brethren will admit this.

But, just as I respect the cow so do I respect my fellow-men.  A man is just as useful as a cow, no matter whether he be a Mahomedan or a Hindu.  Am I, then to fight with or kill a Mahomedan in order to save a cow?  In doing so, I would become an enemy as well of the cow as of the Mahomedan.  Therefore, the only method I know of protecting the cow is that I should approach my Mahomedan brother and urge him for the sake of the country to join me in protecting her.  If he would not listen to me, I should let the cow go for the simple reason that the matter is beyond my ability.  If I were over full of pity for the cow, I should sacrifice my life to save her, but not take my brother’s.  This, I hold, is the law of our religion.

When men become obstinate, it is a difficult thing.  If I pull one way, my Moslem brother will pull another.  If I put on a superior air, he will return the compliment.  If I bow to him gently, he will do it much, more so, and if he does not, I shall not be considered to have done wrong in having bowed.  When the Hindus became insistent, the killing of cows increased.  In my opinion, cow protection societies may be considered cow killing societies.  It is a disgrace to us that we should need such societies.  When we forgot how to protect cows, I suppose we needed such societies.

What am I to do when a blood-brother is on the point of killing a cow?  Am I to kill him, or to fall down at his feet and implore him?  If you admit that I should adopt the latter course I must do the same to my Moslem brother.  Who protects the cow from destruction by Hindus when they cruelly ill-treat her?  Whoever reasons with the Hindus when they mercilessly belabour the progeny of the cow with their sticks?  But this has not prevented us from remaining one nation.

Lastly, if it be true that the Hindus believe in the doctrine of non-killing, and the Mahomedans do not, what, I pray, is the duty of the former?  It is not written that a follower of the religion of Ahimsa (non-killing) may kill a fellow-man.  For him the way is straight.  In order to save one being, he may not kill another.  He can only plead—­therein lies his sole duty.

But does every Hindu believe in Ahimsa?  Going to the root of the matter, not one man really practises such a religion, because we do destroy life.  We are said to follow that religion because we want to obtain freedom from liability to kill any kind of life.  Generally speaking, we may observe that many Hindus partake of meat and are not, therefore, followers of Ahimsa.  It is, therefore, preposterous to suggest that the two cannot live together amicably because the Hindus believe in Ahimsa and the Mahomedans do not.