Chapter 3: Cows in Contested Fields
from Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics
Kenneth R. Valpey
About “Cows in Contested Fields
In this chapter of Cow Care in Hindu Animal Ethics, scholar Kenneth R. Valpey wades into the thorny, tangled fields—both literal and ideological—where the role of cows in Indian society is hotly contested. While cows are often associated with spiritual reverence and nonviolence in Hindu tradition, their treatment today reflects deep contradictions. Chapter 3, “Cows in Contested Fields,” explores how religious ideals, political agendas, economic pressures, and social tensions all clash around the figure of the cow.
Valpey takes us into real-world situations in India where cow protection isn’t just about piety—it’s also about power. He explores how religious rhetoric about the sacredness of cows can be used to support exclusionary politics, and how modern systems of agriculture and commerce often conflict with traditional ideals of cow care (go-raksha). He also examines the lived experience of cows: how they’re treated on the ground, not just in scripture.
What makes this chapter particularly compelling is its refusal to idealize or condemn outright. Instead, it asks: what does it really mean to care for cows ethically? Can sacredness coexist with commodification? Can traditions evolve in ways that truly center animal wellbeing?
Valpey brings together philosophy, religious ethics, and fieldwork to show how cow care is a microcosm of larger ethical challenges in a globalized world. This chapter is essential for anyone interested in cross-cultural approaches to animal ethics, especially when religious beliefs and political realities collide.
Before You Read
When we think about animal ethics, we often picture Western debates over meat-eating or animal testing. But this chapter opens up a whole new perspective by exploring how cows—sacred to many Hindus—are caught in cultural and political battles in contemporary India. As you read, think about the tension between religious ideals and real-world practices. How does reverence for cows turn into something more complicated when politics, identity, and economics enter the picture? And how might this case study challenge Western assumptions about what ethical animal care should look like?
Guiding Questions
- How are cows symbolically and materially situated in Indian religious and political life?
- What does Valpey mean by “contested fields”? Who or what is doing the contesting?
- How does the tension between traditional Hindu values and modern agricultural systems affect animal care?
- What broader questions does this chapter raise about the intersection of ethics, religion, and politics in animal advocacy?
