Sudevi Dasi launched a fight decades ago to save accident affected cows in Braj. A foreigner by origin it was a trip to Vrindavan that exposed her to the plight of cows on the streets of India. She then stayed back and started working on the noble cause. Fast Forward to 2016 and she is caught in a fix. It seems like the dead end for her work in India courtesy demonetisation.
Demonetisation has not just had an impact on the people of this country, but now it is slowly but surely affecting the animals. In Krishna land, cows are now forced to go with less food or stay hungry courtesy cowshed owners not having money. In Braj, Kanha’s thousands of cows are not getting the required fodder. For 35 years, Sudevi Dasi has been treating accident affected cows in Mathura but now her fight seems difficult with no cash.
Caretaker of a cowshed in Mathura, Sudevi, a German by origin says she is now forced to take money on credit and then is unable to repay. She says that with a cash crunch her lenders are fast losing faith.
Sudevi had come to tour Vrindavan several decades ago. While on an outing she saw the poor condition of cows and could not help but stay back and work for their upkeep. The stray cows and their poor condition had always had a impact on her working.
Sudevi spends 80000 per day on the cows and on a monthly basis the expense is 20 to 22 lakh.
Now neither are lenders giving her money and nor is she able to get money from her bank. She is only getting a weekly 24000 which she rues is not enough.
Sudevi Dasi had many years back come to India on a spiritual quest when she was nineteen. After visiting many holy places she settled in Radha Kund.
Feeling a sudden urge to tend to abandoned and especially injured cows found in the Radha Kund and Govardhan area she has collected over 1000 and is attending to them alone.
Amidst cow politics playing out in some parts of India, her dedicated service to Gau Mata stands out.
Reportedly there is an increasing number of cows and bulls being abandoned at an earlier age.
Perhaps cow vigilantes should see and learn from a lady who has given up all to serve the cow. This even though she hails from Germany and now a proud Indian.
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