Shailendra Yogiraj Sarkar urges Centre to declare cow as 'Mother of the nation'

Amidst a growing nationwide campaign, Shailendra Yogiraj Sarkar, National Media In-Charge of Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati Ji Maharaj, has urged the Central Government to officially declare the cow as “Rashtriya Gau Mata” (Mother of the Nation) and as “Rajya Mata” (State Mother) at the state level.

The appeal was made during the ongoing Bharat Gau Dhwaj Parikrama and Gau Dhwaj Inspection Yatra, part of the wider Gau Dhwaj Abhiyan, a movement initiated under the guidance of Shankaracharya Ji to emphasize the sacred status of the cow in Indian culture and tradition.

Yogiraj Sarkar emphasized the need to remove the cow from the official classification of animals and grant it a unique and divine identity through legislation. "The cow should be treated not merely as an animal but revered as the divine mother figure of the nation," he said during a ritual ceremony involving Gau Mata pujan, aarti, and parikrama (ritual circumambulation) of the Gau Dhwaj (Cow Flag).

The campaign is also actively enrolling citizens as “Gau Voters” across the country, with participation growing steadily. These citizens, bonded by devotion to Gau Mata, support legislative efforts to enhance cow protection and promote its national reverence.

Notably, this movement has already seen success in Maharashtra, where the state government under Chief Minister Eknath Shinde declared the cow as the State Mother and enacted related legislation following last year’s Gau Dhwaj Pratishtha Yatra, where Shankaracharya Ji installed the sacred Cow Flag in various state capitals.

Shailendra Yogiraj reiterated the Shankaracharya’s vision, stressing that a central law declaring the Cow as the Mother of the Nation is critical for its long-term protection.

Among those present during the recent rituals were Jeevan Sharma, Prakash Timsina, Sudhir, Vijay, and Mamta, who joined the worship events with fervent devotion.