Lok Sabha elections 2024 | Trivia: Why the 'Cow and Calf' symbol granted to Indira-led Congress stirred controversy

Take a look at interesting tidbits of history associated with the Lok Sabha elections.

New Delhi: 'Cow' has become a sensitive topic especially after Narendra Modi assumed power in 2014. However, it was the same 53 years ago too when the 'Cow and Calf' symbol was allotted to the Indira Gandhi-led Congress faction, just a couple of months before the 1971 general elections.

Cries of hurting religious sentiments were raised soon after the symbol was allotted, but then-Chief Election Commissioner S P Sen-Varma later noted in an official account that it was “difficult to accept the view that cow represents Hindu religion”.

The argument given by those opposing the allocation of the symbol to the Indira faction, including her opponents—former Karnataka Chief Minister S Nijalingappa and K Kamaraj—was that "Gomaata is an object of religious worship" and it “should not be brought” into politics.

“The cow may be and should be the object of our extreme care and for that reason if one may like to say, even our reverence... Even those who call cow 'Gomata' will, I think, feel insulted if they are addressed as 'sons of the cow' ('Gai Ke Bachhe') instead of as sons of the immortal Amritasya Putrah," Sen-Varma wrote in his analysis.

He was of the view that it was difficult to regard the symbol 'calf and cow' as a religious symbol to the exclusion of any other symbol from the standpoint of principle and philosophy.

Sen-Varma then went on to say, "If 'calf and cow' is to be regarded as a religious symbol, the 'Banyan Tree' reserved for the SSP (Samyukta Socialist Party) at that time or the 'Rising Sun' reserved for the DMK, or the 'Star' reserved for the Swatantra Party and the 'Lamp' (Deepak) reserved for the Bharatiya Jana Sangh should all be regarded as religious symbols," he said.

"Even the 'Elephant' or the 'Lion' should be regarded as such. As has been pointed out, in that case no symbol, i.e., no pictorial representation of anything, can at all be used in elections," he said in the 'Report on the 5th General Elections in India 1971-72'.

Keep up with the 2024 Lok Sabha elections, right here with DH!

It all started after Jagjivan Ram, the Indira faction's leader, objected to Nijalingappa's choice of 'Charkha' as their Congress (O)'s symbol, saying it should not be granted as it was “part and parcel of our (Indira faction) party flag”.

The Election Commission then allotted Nijalingappa's second choice 'Charkha being piled by a woman' while it decided to give Indira faction its second preference 'Calf and Cow' and not its first preference 'Child', as it felt that “justice demanded that”.

However, the allocation to the Indira faction was objected by Nijalingappa on 27 January, 1971, two days after the Election Commission order, in addition to objections by the Bharatiya Kranti Dal, Jan Sangh, and Swatantra Party. C Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj too objected to it.

Homidaji of the Madhya Pradesh Communist Party also objected, saying cow symbol was semi-religious.

Dr A Natarajan of Madras, however, sent a telegram strongly criticising the views of Rajagopalachari and Kamaraj, claiming that the objection raised by them was equally applicable to the symbols 'Rising Sun', 'Lamp', and 'Star'.

When the Election Commission sought his comment, Jagjivan Ram wrote back, saying it was "absolutely wrong" to suggest that the symbol had religious associations.

"As a matter of fact, the concept signifies the progress, health of the nation and prosperity in a country where 80 per cent (of the) population depends on the rural economy for their prosperity. The parties in reference have objected to the symbol malafide only in order to create confusion," he said.

"Many amongst the recognised symbols find mention in one or other religious books but they have not been treated as religious symbols. The case of 'Calf and Cow' stands on a different footing altogether. The said symbol is nowhere treated as a religious symbol by any religious books or Shastras," he added.

(This is a revised version of an article published earlier in Deccan Herald)