Moo-ve over people, the cows are back in town

Sohrab Goth's cow market is back in business in time for Eidul Adha

KARACHI:

When the blue 16-wheeler carrying hundreds of cows came to a stop, a crowd of excited youth pushed through the cloud of dust to surround it.

Someone said, "Wait for my kids before dislodging the cows." Another: "Carry them on your shoulders." A loud voice was heard saying, "place something below the truck before dislodging them, else they'll break their legs."



Meanwhile, Alla Bux placed bags full of cow feed beneath the truck's ramp to create a path for the cows and asked the excited crowd to step back. Bux stood outside the truck and tried to drag a black cow out with a rope tied through the cow's nostrils, with his brother pushing its tail from inside the truck. After a brief struggle, the cow climbed down and ran off, scared by the crowd's hooting.

"Is this humanity?" Bux shouted. "Each of my cows cost Rs50,000 and these people think it's funny," he lamented.

Spread over 960 acres, the country's biggest market for sacrificial animals is all set to kick off near Sohrab Goth on Wednesday, September 2, with roughly 0.2 million sacrificial animals expected this year, said the market's administrator, Rana Imran. "There will be free parking for visitors this year," he said. "The parking will be just beside the VIP blocks." He added that old and physically challenged people would be allowed to bring their vehicles inside the market this time.

This year, the goat market has been merged with the cow market. "Every year, the goat market has been on the right side of the cow market, which is a very dusty area," he said, adding that this was the reason why the management has decided to merge the markets.

According to him, Rs1,000 rent is charged for a single cow and camel and Rs600 for a goat. He said that daily eight litres of free water will be supplied to the animals twice a day.   "128 cemented tanks have been built and 20 tanks of fibre have been placed in front of the VIP blocks, which will carry 20,000 litres of water," he said.

Imran added that, for the first time, fibre washrooms have been introduced. "There are a total of 28 blocks and for every three blocks there will be one fibre washroom," he said.



For commercial vehicles, he said, that for each Suzuki van or pickup trip, Rs200 will be charged.

Early risers

Early Sunday morning, Muhammad Farooq came all the way from North Karachi to see how the cow market was setting up. "It's been more than three hours that I am here at the market enjoying the arrival of cows," he said.

Another young man from Malir said that he was there at market to welcome the first truck loaded with cows. "Every year I pay as many visits as I can to this market. This is my hobby and it is fun watching how the cows are disemarked from the truck and then run away," he laughed.

Pain killers

Around 60 cows, brought from Ghotki to the cow market, were forced to swallow Brufen syrup mixed with cow feed and jaggery by their owner, Wasee. "They have travelled in the truck for more than 20 hours standing," he said. "We give them this as medicine so that they don't fall ill and remain active."

Published in The Express Tribune, August 24^th, 2015.