In Gwalior, gau bhakti has taken a rather unusual turn. Those applying for arms licence must donate 10 blankets to cows or serve for three days in a gaushala (cow shelter), the Gwalior administration has mandated.

The blanket clause for licence seekers came into effect last week.

“But in a region where owning a gun is considered as important as roti-kapda-makaan, or more, many were finding it difficult to fork out the money for 10 blankets along with the licence fee and the cost of the gun,” says a report by The Times of India.

Reuters/Representational Image

The administration then tweaked the clause. Those who could not afford to the blankets could serve in a gaushala. This isn’t the first such initiative. Sometime ago, licence-seekers had to plant saplings as part of the application process.

“Within a week, we have received 1,700 blankets as 170 people have applied for gun licences. We have already distributed 1,000 of these blankets in gaushalas and some among to the homeless,” Gwalior collector Anurag Chowdhary told TOI.

Reuters/Representational Image

“Some applicants approached us to say they would like to serve in gaushalas. Some said they cannot donate the blankets, so they would rather work in a gaushala. We also have some who volunteered for both,” he said.

Chowdhary also said that abandoned cattle are a “social problem.”

“If they loiter on the roads, it often leads to accidents. There are two gaushalas within Gwalior city limits housing 12,000 cows. Together with the gaushalas in nearby areas, there are around 14,000 abandoned cows in shelters that need care,” he remarked.

There are around 18,000 gun licence holders in Gwalior, and thousands apply every year.