Indian state to organise vegetarian iftars this Ramadan

Uttar Pradesh - Special prayers will be offered so cows are blessed and protected.

In Uttar Pradesh, a  vegetarian iftar looms on the horizon.The Rashtriya Swayamsewak Sangh's Muslim wing in Uttar Pradesh, will organize Iftars this Ramadan as in the previous years. But this time there is a difference-in keeping with these animal friendly times.
A right wing Hindu Mahasabha leader, Aditya Yoginath, is the chief minister of the state, and he is a cow-friendly man. So, the Iftar Fridays are likely to be vegetarian, with the only animal product being cow milk.
The RSS Muslim wing leader, Mahiraj Dhwaj Singh, national co-convener of Muslim Rashtriya Manch (MRM) for Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand, said this is for the "first time" that people who observe Roza (fast), will be ending it with a glass of cow's milk. "Consumption of beef leads to many diseases, including heart attack. Best to save the cow and save ourselves."
The MRM was formed in 2002 at the initiative of the then RSS chief KS Sudarshan to allow the RSS to reach out to Muslims.
As a result of the close coordination with the Brahminical RSS perhaps, the MRM members are even more emphatically cow-lovers than some members of the RSS.
"Emphasis will be laid on the use of cow milk and other dairy products at the Iftars. And, it will be for the first time that such an Iftar will be held in Uttar Pradesh, when people will observe Roza (fast) and end it with a glass of cow's milk," said Mahiraj Dhwaj Singh.
Singh said and - everybody agreed -cow milk was very good for health. Ghee ( clarified butter ) made from cow's milk has medicinal value, he said. That was the reason why it is used in ayurvedic treatment. In the world of animals, the cow has a unique place, he said. There was consensus on this point as well.
This Iftar, therefore, special prayers will be offered so cows are blessed and protected. Singh  said milk is healthy, and cow is holy. The animal was also a creation of Allah. One should therefore respect it : "All living beings ( animals, birds, trees and plants) owe their existence to Allah. If we adopt a humane approach towards them, we will incur His blessings,"  the MRM leader said.
This Iftar gets even better in its ambitions of brotherhood. "A message to end animosity and spread love, and bonhomie will be disseminated. Messages to uphold the unity and integrity of the nation will be spread. Programs will be held to pledge for development of the country, while upholding its sovereignty. " It appeared this might shape up to be a very patriotic Iftar season indeed.
At places in his speech the MRM leader almost sounded like Narendra Modi, but that could be because both have the same objective of religious harmony.
Recently Uttar Pradesh and other states of North India have been witnessing several episodes of cow-vigilante groups taking law into  their own hands. Torture and deaths have been reported.
But the MRM leader was more keen on a vision of the future. "Let's make a prosperous Bharat. Let's take a pledge to resolve the ongoing Ayodhya dispute amicably. "
Welcoming the move of the MRM, Waseem Raini, president of Lucknow-based Pasmanda Muslim Samaj, a Muslim organisation, said, "If different sweets such as pedhaa and other edible items made using cow's milk are served during Iftar, we have no objections. This will eventually increase the bonhomie and brotherhood between Hindus and Muslims."

• India