NEW DELHI (AP) – India’s government-run animal welfare department has appealed to citizens to mark Valentine’s Day this year not as a celebration of romance but as ‘Cow Hug Day’ to better promote Hindu values.
The Animal Welfare Board of India said on Wednesday that “hugging cows will bring emotional richness and increase individual and collective happiness”.
The cow has long been embedded in the Hindu psyche and is deeply respected by many similar to one’s mother.
Most states in India have banned cow slaughter. The animal welfare board’s appeal asks people to go out and physically hug cows on February 14.
