DEHRADUN: At a time when cow vigilantes have spread terror, a Muslim government official,
Raza Abbas, posted in the
Uttarakhand hills has drawn the attention of the
Uttarakhand Cow Commission who is planning to honour him “for his zeal in tending to cows at the cow shelters in his area and promoting harmony.”
Narendra Rawat, chairperson, Uttarakhand Cow Commission, said, “I have been seeing the devotion for cows that Abbas has and also speaking about it at various forums.
By honouring him, we want to send out the message that nurturing cows is more of a matter of personal belief rather than connected with any religion.” Abbas was till recently the deputy collector of Pauri, and was recently shifted to
Almora. On being queried about his service to cows, he said, “Being a history student, I studied how religion evolved over the years. The teachings of the bhakti saints left a strong impression on my mind and ever since I see myself connected with each and everything as simply being a creation of god. I was also greatly influenced by Buddhism and Jainism which advocate peace and compassion towards all, including animals.”
Swami Vishudhanand, who owns around seven cow shelters in Uttarakhand, says that it was “refreshing and inspirational to see Abbas devote himself to the service of cows.”