Cow as the prize for winning a cricket tournament in Gujarat

We have always heard of trophies, medals and prize money awarded at the end of a cricket tournament. But who would have ever thought that an animal would be awarded to the winner of a cricket tournament? Yes, you read it right! In an absurd development in the western state of Gujarat, in India, a tournament organised by the Rabari community will be awarding a cow as the prize to the champions team for winning the tournament.

This move has been cautiously taken to raise awareness about cow protection in the country after the controversy surrounding cow-slaughter. It is believed that the community has a close connection with livestock and in the past one year it has devised many strategies to raise awareness about cow slaughter. The very reason behind organising the tournament was also the same.

This tournament will be hosted by the city of Baroda. The organiser of the tournament Prakash Rabari, speaking to ANI, said, “With this tournament we want to send a message that cow is a very important component in our society. Rabari community has always protected the cattle as it is our livelihood.”

One of the players who will be taking part in this tournament – Raju Rabri said that they want the center to make cow the national animal and they would do their bit to promote this cause, “We want the state to recognize cow as the National Animal, only then can we save them,” he said.

Tournament opposes the central government 

This unique move has come in the middle of a raging debate on a recent notification by the central government which banned the sale of cattle for slaughter at market places. Several quarters have been opposing this notification, with Kerala Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan saying it destroys the “spirit of federalism” because cow, which comes under livestock is a state subject.