How a German’s love for cows culminated in a Padma Shri

AGRA: Over 25 years ago, much before cows caught the fancy of politicians in northern plains here, a German woman during a solo trip to UP’s Mathura was so much moved by the plight of the stray animals that she decided to stay back, and care for them. On Republic Day , the government finally recognised her services and she was honoured with Padma Shri Far from public glare, in a dingy and deserted lane of the temple town, Friederike Irina Bruning tends to over 1,800 cows and calves. She had been doing it for the last 25 years. Most of the animals in the cowshed were rescued after being abandoned by their owners.Locally known as Sudevi Mataji, the 61-year-old woman told TOI that she was grateful to the government for recognising her work and hoped that others would also be inspired by it and be kind to animals.“There are about 60 workers at the cowshed, and around Rs 35 lakh is spent every month on their salaries, food grains and medicines,” she claimed, adding that she gets Rs 6-7 lakh per month from inherited property.“I had started this from a small courtyard and then built a cowshed called Surabhi Gaushala Niketan in Radhakund,” Bruning said, adding that she had used her parent’s money to set xup the gaushala.Bruning has built separate enclosures for bovines that are blind or injured and need special treatment.The only thing that the German national expects from the government is a long-term visa or Indian citizenship. “So that I don’t need to renew visa every year,” a reticent Bruning said.