AIUDF supremo and Lok Sabha member Maulana Badruddin Ajmal on Friday made a fervent appeal to the members of the Muslim community not to perform Qurbani or sacrifice of cows during the ensuing Eid-ul-Joha which falls on July 10. Ajmal, who also happens to be the president of the Assam State Jamiat Ulama (ASJU), in his statement said that performing Qurbani or sacrifice is an essential duty for Muslims who can afford the ritual and tradition permits sacrificing of animals like camels, goats, buffaloes, sheep and cows. He has however pointed out that India is a country composed of people of diverse communities, ethnic groups and religions where most inhabitants profess the Sanatan faith and thus treats the cow as a holy object. It is also very significant to note that Ajmal has stated that the majority of people in this country view the cow as a mother. He also recalled that as far back as 2008, Darul Uloom Deoband - the country's largest Islamic academic institute had issued an appeal to Muslims to avoid sacrificing cows on Eid-ul-Joha as much as possible. According to him, Darul Ulooma had said that there is no mention in the Islamic scriptures that the sacrifice of cows is mandatory. Hence, since the emotions of the majority of people of India are associated with the cow, therefore, Darul Uloom suggested the use of other animals for the ritual sacrifice, Ajmal in his statement said. While Ajmal, being a politician, must have made this statement keeping his political objectives in mind, the fact remains that every year when Eid-al-Joha is around, a section of people raises the debate on the sacrifice of cows in India. In this country where more than 80 per cent of the population is Hindu and reveres the cow, the sacrifice of cows on Eid-al-Joha every year only turns out to be a cause of social and religious conflict. There are people who think that Muslims in India prefer the sacrifice of cows because the sacrifice of a cow can be shared by seven individuals, and therefore, sacrificing a cow becomes a less expensive affair. The same advantage is with sacrificing a camel too, but then camels are not easily available all over India, which in turn compels the Muslims to prefer the sacrifice of cows. With the issue likely to become more intense in the run-up to Eid, it will be interesting to watch how people react to Maulana Badruddin Ajmal's proposal.