Hundreds of
scientists have asked the Indian government to withdraw the call for research
proposals on the uniqueness of indigenous cows and the curative properties of
cow urine, dung and milk for potential cancer treatments. In an open letter
from the researchers, they say that the call is ‘unscientific’ and a
misdirection of public money at a time when India is already facing a financial
crunch.
In their
letter, scientists note that the call presumes “special physiological status to
select breeds of only one species,” adding that “to begin a project with such
presumptions is prima facie unscientific.” Money under the scheme could be
“wasted to ‘investigate’ imaginary qualities derived from religious
scriptures,” they said.
The call
for proposals issued 14th February, 2020, is a part of a funding
program of the Department of Science and Technology, the Ministry of Ayurveda,
Yoga and Naturopathy, Unani, Siddha, Sowa Rigpa and homeopathy. The proposal
invites for projects on 5 research themes including ‘cowpathy’, the use of cow
derived products for medicine and health.
A major aim is the “scientific investigation of uniqueness of pure
Indigenous Indian cows.”
This is not
the first time that the government has promoted researches on cows or made
scientific claims for unproven traditional beliefs.
