$2,000 Bounty for India's Vampires Offered
Politicians hoping to dispel public fears of vampires in India have offered a $2,000 reward for anyone who can offer solid proof of their existence. Villagers have begun locking themselves indoors at night and not going out for fear of vampire attacks, reports state.
Villagers believe that blood-sucking vampires have been attacking their villages and draining the blood from cattle, according to The Deccan Chronicle. While it is true that cattle have been dying in significant numbers as of late, local leaders are attempting to dispel the rumors surrounding their deaths.
O. Jayaraman announced that there would be a $2,000 reward for anyone who was able to capture a vampire. "It is a big hoax," he told the Chronicle.
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"Anti-socials whose illegal activities such as bootlegging and liquor brewing have been disturbed are spreading rumors and killing cattle. Since people are not willing to believe us, we have challenged them with this reward," he explained.
Killing cattle is a serious offense in India, a heavily Hindu country that believes cattle to be sacred. It is illegal to slaughter cattle in several states, and laws retain severe punishments for those who carry out slaughter. For example, in Uttar Pradesh, the Prevention of Cow Slaughter Act passed in 1955 has a penalty of "rigorous imprisonment up to two years, a fine up to $1,000, or both," states the National Commission on Cattle.
Gandhi once said that he would "worship" the cow and "defend its worship against the whole world. The central fact of Hinduism is cow protection," he explained.
The Ministry of Agriculture in India quotes him as also saying, "Mother cow is in many ways better than the mother who gave us birth."
"Our mother gives us milk for a couple of years and then expects us to serve her when we grow up. Mother cow expects from us nothing but grass and grain. Our mother, when she dies, means expenses of burial or creation. Mother cow is as useful dead as she is alive," Gandhi explained.
According to the Vedas, Hindu scriptures, cows have symbolized wealth and provided milk necessary for life. Several countries place high significance upon cattle: India, East Asia, including China and Japan. It is not a new practice but has significant roots in both ancient Egypt and Europe.
