In Gwalior, gau bhakti must for gun licences

BHOPAL: The Gwalior administration has made it mandatory for arms licence applicants to donate 10 blankets for cows or serve for three days in a gaushala (cow shelter).
The blanket clause for licence seekers was imposed 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.
So the administration tweaked it — those who could not afford the blankets could serve in a gaushala. This isn’t the first such initiative. Sometime ago, licenceseekers 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.
“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 added.
Abandoned cattle are a social problem, he remarked. “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,” Chowdhary said.
There are around 18,000 gun licence holders in Gwalior, and thousands apply every year.