Shillong, Sept 12: The leaders of cow protection group who were supposed to organise a press conference on Thursday, justified holding a rally by Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarandah Ji for Gau Dhwaj to declare cow as mother of the nation here on October 2.
The HYC objected to the plan of holding the rally. On Thursday, the leaders of cow protection group did not come to the press club to address media persons regarding the October 2 event.
Later, a statement was issued by the group.
Unedited full text of the statement below
*Gau Pratishtha Andolan: Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra to start from 22nd September*
•JyotishPeethadheeshwar Shankaracharya Avimukteshwarandah Ji will host Gau Dhwaj to declare Cow as Mother of the Nation in Shillong on 2nd October
12th September, 2024
Shillong, Meghalaya
Sanatan Dharm holds the cow in high regard, with its significance mentioned across religious texts like the Vedas, Upanishads, and Puranas. It is not an animal, but a mother—this is the sacred belief and faith of the Sanatan Dharmi Hindus. With this deep devotion, a nationwide Gau Pratishtha Andolan is being carried out to elevate the cow to the status of ‘Rashtra Mata’ by moving cow protection from the state list to the central list in the Constitution, and to make India free of cow slaughter.
Since India’s independence, continuous efforts have been made to protect and honor the sacred cow. One notable movement was the 1966 GauRaksha Andolan, led by Dharma Samrat Yatichakrachudamani Pujya Karpatri Ji Maharaj, in which thousands of cow devotees sacrificed their lives. Continuing the mission, Param GauBhakt Pujya Gopal Mani Ji has led the Gau Pratishtha Andolan, and has kept it alive across the country. This sacred movement is blessed by the Jagadguru Shankaracharyas of the four peethas, who organized a Gau Sansad to demand the status of Rashtra Mata and the implementation of legislation against cow slaughter. In this event, the Rama Gau Pratishtha Samhita Bill has been passed along with a 42-point Dharmadesh.
To ignite the momentum of this movement, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Avimukteshwaranand Ji Maharaj of Jyotirmath, lit a sacred flame of cow ghee and declared this year as the Gau Samvatsar (Year of the Cow). From March 14 to March 28, 2024, he led a barefoot march from Govardhan to Delhi. Under his guidance, the Gau Pratishtha Andolan continues to thrive across India.
As part of this movement, a Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra will take place from September 22 to October 26, 2024. Pujya Gopal Mani Ji will accompany Shankaracharya Ji throughout this journey. The Yatra will visit the capitals of all Indian States and Union Territories, where a sacred Gau Dhwaj will be installed.
In each state capital, a grand Gau Pratishtha Sammelan will be held, beginning in Ayodhya— where Gobhakt & Gorakshak Ram Lalla resides. The Yatra will travel across the east, west, south, and north of India, culminating in the national capital on October 26. During the Yatra, Jagadguru Shankaracharya Ji will honor distinguished cow devotees from across the country.
Shankaracharya Ji is scheduled to arrive in Shillong, Meghalaya on the evening of 1st October. On 2nd October, he will preside over the installation of the Gau Dhwaj and deliver an address at the Gau Mahasabha. Afterward, he will continue the journey toward West Bengal.
The goal of this Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra is to awaken cow devotees nationwide, unite them for a common cause – restoring the dignity and honor of the sacred cow, and conferring upon her the status of ‘Rashtra Mata’; and the motto is “Gau Mata, Rashtra Mata – Rashtra Mata, Bharat Mata.”
Following this Yatra, a nationwide Gau Pratishtha Mahasammelan will be held on the occasion of Gopashtami in Delhi, on November 7, 8, and 9, which will decisively appeal to the Government of India to end the curse of cow slaughter and honor the cow as Rashtra Mata.
In preparation for this historic journey, today, on September 12, 2024, Mukundanand Brahmchari Ji, a representative of Shankaracharya Ji yatra’s convener, along with co-convener Gobhakt Vikas Patni Ji addressed the press of Meghalaya today.
(Video statements were also sent by these two individuals on Thursday evening)
