Are we men or beasts?
When the RSPCA decided last Friday to ignore the protestations of her carers and “put down” the ailing Gangotri–a 13 year-old cow living at Bhaktivedanta Manor in Hertfordshire–they were, they say, moved by compassion. Their spokesperson said, “We do understand and respect religious beliefs but at the heart of our organisation is the belief that animals should not suffer.” In their view the pain Gangotri felt from “infected sores” was such that the only answer was to kill her by lethal injection, which they duly administered as horrified Krishna devotees looked on. Although with animals it is seen as compassion, killing as a response to suffering is not something readily countenanced when it comes to humans.
In Britain euthanasia is a crime, even if the suffering person desires his or her own death. Even in cases where suffering is acute or there is terminal illness, killing is not allowed. Care will be administered to give the patient the best possible quality of life till death naturally occurs. However, in the case of animals, as the instance of poor Gangotri illustrates, the feelings are different. At some point–in this case on the behest of three vets–death will be decreed. This is more or less universally accepted as the right way to treat animals. Even our beloved pets will be “put to sleep” when we think their pain is too great. From a moral point of view then we have to ask what distinguishes humans from animals. Why do we treat them differently? As far as Hindu theology is concerned all creatures are spiritual equals, eternal souls occupying different bodies. All life therefore has equal value and is entitled to equal protection under law. If the RSPCA truly did respect religious beliefs then this is the first thing they should have respected. But even if they felt they had the right to impose their own moral imperatives, then they should at least show us the consistent moral case.
But can they? First of all, why do we wish to prolong human life for as a long as possible? Our society as a whole does not function on any overt religious assumptions. Life is not sacred in that sense. It is really just about enjoying life, and if anything we work according to the Utilitarian principle of achieving “maximum happiness”. All our endeavours are basically about increasing happiness.
But animals also enjoy. They eat, sleep and mate just like us. They enjoy the sunshine and running free in the fields. They play, fight, talk among themselves and have their societies just as we do. If we take away religious sentiment regarding the higher spiritual purpose of life, about which animals have no notion, then we will be hard pressed to find any difference at all between man and beast.
We might argue that animals have no art, science and philosophy, but if these are divorced from spirituality then again they are simply about increasing our enjoyment and happiness. Even if we argue that such things give greater meaning and value to humanity then what about a less intelligent person who cannot appreciate these so called finer aspects of life? Can we treat them like animals? If a man is intellectually challenged in some way then can we kill him when he has painful, infected sores? If life is simply about material pleasure then there is no clear moral case for distinguishing man and animal. We have to take recourse to the religious argument before we can make any meaningful distinction. Which brings us back to the so-called respect that the RSPCA, and indeed everyone else are always so quick to declare for others’ beliefs. Except when it is time to act on that respect, it seems. When those beliefs of other people in some way contradict our own then they can be ignored.
And that is exactly how the Krishna devotees are feeling today. Disrespected and marginalized. While we can respect the compassion that drives the RSPCA, do they not think that the devotees also have such feelings? They were obviously caring for Gangotri in a loving way. Plainly they only wanted her well-being and according to their own beliefs did not see that killing her would in any way enhance her welfare.
But did anyone bother asking them why? Did anyone ask why they especially respect the cow, a gentle creature that does nothing but eat grass and provide us with her wonderful milk? A creature that society as a whole sees fit to slaughter in countless millions in order to eat her flesh. Where is our compassion then? When the poor cows are being dragged, often crying piteously, to their death at the hands of the butchers? Who cares about that suffering?
The RSPCA might argue that they do intervene in the meat industry when they see abuse, which is fine, but the level of extreme misery they happily ignore can hardly be compared with the tolerable pain that Gangotri was suffering. She certainly was not howling with tears in her eyes, as we will see animals doing any day in the abattoir.
The devotees at Bhaktivedanta Manor are heartbroken and mortified. For them this was quite simply murder.
Written by author and broadcaster Krishna Dharma Das
