INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COWBOYS

[PeteSC]

INDIAN MOTORCYCLE COWBOYS
09 August 2005

No, not another story of corporate misappropriation in motorcycle manufacturing, it's all about stray cows in New Delhi.

After offering a reward of around 25 quid to anyone rounding up one of the troublesome cows that roam the streets, and it seem the cities busy ring road! The problem is that 25 pounds is more than two weeks wages for most New Delhi folk so there's been a stampede to round the estimated 40,000 strays up. Now New Delhi's streets are reportedly alive with stick-toting cowboys on motorcycles chasing frightened cows all over the city streets and marketplaces. The civic authority is hard pressed to keep up with the flood of cattle being driven into the state shelters.

The situation arose after the New Delhi High Court became frustrated with the lack of progress made by the municipal authorities in rounding up the cattle which take advantage of their status as sacred to roam the streets and feed on the verges and flower borders. Although they are stray, the cattle do actually have owners, who in the past have been accused of bribing anyone instructed to round up the cattle. Now the High Court has ordered that New Delhi must pay for each cow brought in and can auction the cows to recoup the costs. It's hoped that the loss of cattle this way will deter the owners from letting them stray again.
 
 
 

[Landry]

Somehow, I can't slough off the feeling that they're wasting their time with untrained personnel.

I have a mental image of Ronald McDonald, with a wild-eyed glare, pockets bulging with Indian cash, wielding a machete like Manson on PCP, while a team of Hamburglar-like helpers load an idling C-5 with carcasses.

He could OWN that country.