ISLAMABAD – Dozens of Hindu activists held a cow urine party in the Indiancapital Saturday to protect themselves from the new coronavirus, ascountries around the world struggle to control the deadly pandemic.
Members and supporters of All India Hindu Mahasabha staged fire rituals anddrank from earthen cups to fight COVID-19 at the gathering in New Delhidubbed a “gaumutra (cow urine) party”.
Many in the Hindu-majority nation of 1.3 billion consider cows sacred andin recent years have made several assertions about the liquid being anelixir, claims that critics have rejected as quackery.
For a population of its size, #Indialink has onlyreported 113 cases. This is hard to believe. Testing is not widespread, &#Modi link #BJPlink leaders toutphony treatments like #Homeopathylink &#CowUrinelink. Thisis a recipe for disaster. #CoronavirusIndialink.link
— Prof. Steve Hanke (@steve_hanke) March 16, 2020link
“Whoever drinks cow urine will be cured and protected,” Hari Shankar Kumar,one of the volunteers at the event, told AFP as he served the “remedy” inbrown clay cups.
Governments and scientists have said no medicine or vaccine is available toprotect or cure people of the infection that has killed more than 5,400people and infected nearly 150,000 across six continents.
Two people have died in India while more than 80 have fallen ill, and thegovernment has ordered the closure of some land routes into the country andcancelled all visas to stop the spread of the virus in the world’s secondmost populous country.
Read Top Stories
Members draped in saffron clothes chanted Hindu hymns at the fire ritual asdevotees sang paeans for the sacred animal.
“We have gathered here and prayed for world peace and we will make anoffering to the corona (virus) to calm it,” Chakrapani Maharaj, the group’sleader, told reporters before gulping down a cup of urine.
He then offered a glass to a devil-shaped caricature of the virus to“pacify” it. He urged people to adopt the “tried and tested” practice ofdrinking cow urine to ward off diseases, and desist from killing animalsand eating meat.
“The coronavirus is also a bacteria (virus) and cow urine is effectiveagainst all forms of bacteria that harm us,” claimed Om Prakash, aparticipant from the neighbouring state of Uttar Pradesh.
Some members of Hindu nationalist Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s party havealso claimed cow urine has medicinal qualities and can even cure cancer.
One legislator from the party last week suggested use of the urine as wellas cow dung can cure the coronavirus.
