RSS-backed lab to sell cow dung soaps, Modi & Yogi kurtas on Amazon
AGRA: If you are among those who swear by cow urine and dung products, October will put more choice at your fingertips. A Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh-backed pharmacy is bringing dozens of its natural cosmetics and medicinal products — most of them imbued with “gau goodness” — to Amazon. After luxuriating in cow-dung soap lather, you will also have a choice of its “Modi” and “Yogi” kurtas to pull on.
Deen Dayal Dham, a centre run by RSS in Mathura, will initially sell 30-odd personal care and “therapeutic” products, such as the digestive Kamdhenu Ark, online. Its tailoring unit will also sell 10 styles of apparel. RSS spokesperson Arun Kumar said the purpose of selling the products online is to create more jobs for locals, and make them financially independent. If sales take off online, production and jobs will need to be increased. The Dham sells personal care and medicinal products of over Rs 1 lakh and apparel worth Rs 3 lakh every month.
Products of our Kamdhenu line that have cow urine among the main ingredients, and kurtas and other khadi products will be available on Amazon soon,” Manish Gupta, deputy secretary of the Dham, told TOI. Besides Kamdhenu Ark, which is made from cow urine and aniseed (saunf), the Dham’s Deen Dayal Kamdhenu Gaushala Pharmacy makes products like Ghanvati, a tonic containing pepper, amla, tulsi, Kamdhenu Madhunashak Chur for diabetes and obesity, Shoolhar oil for sprains and arthritis, shampoo, bath soaps, face pack, toothpaste Gupta said cow urine and dung (gomay) are the base for their soaps, face packs and incense, and no synthetic chemicals are used.
“We collect urine and dung from the cows in our shed and use them in the products, per the formulation.” With just 10 workers, and 90 cows and calves, the pharmacy works on a small scale at present. In 2015, they sold 700kg chyawanprash, increasing to 1,200kg next year. Although the products are only sold at the Dham or in RSS camps, “all of them are sold out much before the end of the year”, said Ramgopal, one of the workers.
Dham director Rajendra, who goes by his first name, told TOI they are ready to scale up with increasing demand. “We expect a high demand for cow urine products from online customers, and production will need to be increased.” All of the Dham’s products are reasonably priced between Rs 10 and Rs 230. Even the “Modi” and “Yogi” kurtas cost only Rs 220 apiece.
Gupta said the Modi kurtas are longer than the saffron-only Yogi version, and will be available in several colours, including white, grey and pink. The tailoring centre that makes kurtas, pyjamas, jackets and white shirts is also a small operation with 50 workers, mostly women, who earn Rs 120 a day for stitching two pairs of trousers. It was started in 1980 to give work to poor men and women from neighbouring villages. The women even got their sewing machines from the Dham as wedding gifts.
courtesy : timesofindia.indiatimes.com
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“Full prepared..going to win,” Congress MP KC Venugopal ahead of Kerala polls
EC not functioning as a neutral institution: Venugopal
Congress MP K. C. Venugopal on Monday raised concerns over the election schedule announced by the Election Commission of India for the upcoming Kerala Assembly election, questioning the timing of the poll dates and alleging that the schedule leaves limited time for campaigning.
Speaking to news agency ANI in Delhi after the poll panel announced elections in five states and Union Territories, Venugopal said that the Congress and the United Democratic Front (UDF) are fully prepared for the elections and confident of victory. At the same time, he questioned the pattern of dates announced by the Election Commission.
“We are fully prepared, we are going to win the elections... You can see how the Election Commission has set the dates. The first phase of elections is on the 9th, nominations are due until the 23rd, scrutiny is on the 24th, nominations can be withdrawn until the 26th, and after that, there are 11 days for campaigning,” he said.
“As for Kerala, there is Easter and Good Friday in the first week...The Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier... The counting date is on May 4th, so what was the point of holding elections in Kerala so early? What is their intention behind holding elections on the same day in Kerala, Puducherry, and Assam?... We are confident that we will win, but the people of the country are seeing the biased attitude of the Election Commission...,” he added.
He further stated that his party was ready for elections irrespective of the dates announced by the poll body.
“We are going to win the election. India's strategy has been set up. And we are all ready for winning this election. But one thing as far as declaring election, even though they are giving only for five days, we are going to win the election. We have no problem,” he said.
Detailing the poll schedule while questioning the time available for campaigning, he stated, “but you can see the pattern of date which the election commission announced. Yesterday they declared election, and today they notified us. The first phase of election on April 9th, filing of nomination will be over on the 23rd of this month, 24th scrutiny, 26th withdrawal of nomination. After 26, four plus seven, 11 days campaign.”
“As far as Kerala is concerned, April first week is a holy week. The holiday week means, Good Friday is there. Nobody will do anything on Good Friday. Easter is the big festival. These festivals are natural, you have to see that. Among the 11 days, working days, two, three days will go for holidays. Then hardly seven, eight days for campaigning in this election for candidates,” the Congress MP questioned.
The Congress leader said the Election Commission could have announced the dates earlier if there was a need for an early election schedule.
Questioning the urgency behind placing Kerala in the first phase of polling, he added that the counting date is much later.
“Which is the date of counting? Fourth May. Then what is the urgency of putting Kerala in the first phase without giving sufficient time for candidates? And putting Kerala, Puducherry, Assam together, what is the intention behind that?” Venugopal questioned.
He also alleged that the Election Commission was not functioning as a neutral institution.
“The Election commission is completely losing that capacity as a neutral player. You can see 14 of our prime minister's programs over and on the 15th they announce the election, 16th notification comes,” he said.
Venugopal further stated that such tactics would not affect the Congress’ prospects in the election.
“They think that this type of techniques and tactics, because of these techniques and tactics, UDF is going to lose, and Congress is going to lose. This is their complete dream only. This is not going to happen. We are very much confident at any cost, whether they are not giving any time also, we are going to win the election,” he said.
“But the people of India are watching this. The tricks of the election commission. To restrict the campaign, people of India are watching. This I want to bring into the notice of the nation. That's all,” Venugopal said.
The Election Commission of India on Sunday announced the schedule for the Kerala Assembly election. Polling in the state will be held in a single phase on April 9 while the counting of votes is scheduled to take place on May 4.
