Itanagar, Sept 26: Jagadguru Shankaracharya Swami Shri Avimukteshwaranand Saraswati’s visit to Arunachal Pradesh was abruptly shortened on Thursday after protests by the All Arunachal Pradesh Students Union (AAPSU) against his Gau Dhwaj Sthapana Bharat Yatra.
The spiritual leader, who arrived at Donyi Polo Airport in Hollongi by chartered flight, was met with resistance from AAPSU members. Following the unrest, the Papum Pare district administration stepped in, requesting the Shankaracharya and his team to leave, citing the sensitivity of his visit, which was aimed at promoting a ban on cow slaughter in the northeastern states.
AAPSU representatives explained to the media, “While sending the spiritual leader away might send a negative signal nationwide, we want to clarify that we are not opposed to any religion, institution, or individual. However, this cow protection rally goes against the cultural sentiments of Arunachalis.”
Ritum Tali, General Secretary of AAPSU, highlighted the cultural role of cattle in tribal practices. “In our tribal traditions, cows are sometimes sacrificed for healing purposes. We use them for protection,” he said. He also questioned the practice of treating cows as mothers, stating, “If you call a cow a mother, I challenge you to make it give birth to a human. Only then will I consider it a mother. To us, cows are just animals.”
AAPSU members also warned against what they saw as an imposition of outside cultural beliefs. “Do not deceive us, the indigenous tribal people. You can preach elsewhere, but not here. We are not against it, but we don’t want it in our land,” they added.
