Malkangiri, 10th Oct 2025: In the Swabhiman Anchal (formerly cut-off area) of Chitrakonda in Malkangiri district, the indigenous tribal communities follow a unique tradition — they raise cows but never milk them. Even though they have cows and calves, they strictly refrain from extracting milk, believing it to be a grave sin to deprive the calf of its mother’s milk.
This practice is prevalent in several panchayats of the region — especially Jodamba, Panasput, Jantapai, and Darlabeda. The tradition has been passed down through generations and is deeply rooted in their cultural beliefs. According to them, milking a cow and leaving the calf hungry is a major sin.
For these tribals, the dung of the cow is sufficient for their agricultural needs — they don’t require anything more. Despite rearing cattle in large numbers, they consciously avoid using any milk, curd, cheese (chhena), or ghee from the cows.
Locals like Bhim from Panasput and Kusha Khil from Darlabeda explain:
> “In Hindu dharma, cows are worshipped as ‘Gomata’ (Mother Cow). She is believed to carry 33 crore deities within her body. When a cow gives birth to a calf, all the milk belongs to that calf. Taking the milk for human consumption and selling it while the calf goes hungry is sinful.”
So, despite the well-known health benefits of milk and dairy products, they choose not to consume any. They consider the cow sacred and treat her with respect and devotion. For them, cow dung is valuable, but milk is not for human use.
A Tradition That Defies Economics
Even though they are economically underdeveloped, the tribal people firmly hold onto this unique tradition. District OMFED unit officer Manasi Kar said:
> “The tribals of the Swabhiman area are extremely innocent and deeply rooted in their beliefs. They avoid milk solely because of their religious and traditional convictions. However, this affects their economic status as they miss out on the income they could earn by selling milk.”
She added that if calves are given sufficient milk, they grow healthy, but on the other hand, children of the cattle-rearing families often suffer from malnutrition due to lack of nutritious food, especially dairy.
To address this, OMFED is planning to set up a milk chilling unit in the Chitrakonda region. They are also conducting awareness campaigns to educate the tribal population about the nutritional and economic benefits of milk consumption and sales.
Additionally, there is a government proposal to provide high-quality milch cows to poor tribal families at an 85% subsidy. Some people have already shown interest in taking up dairy farming after being sensitized.
Sacred Over Selfishness
Whether it is faith or tradition, these tribal communities give immense respect to cows. In contrast, in many parts of the modern world, people raise cows only for milk and once their purpose is served, they abandon them on the streets.
However, in the Swabhiman Anchal, people keep their cows even if they don’t get milk from them. With modern farming equipment and increased use of chemical fertilizers, the number of cattle is also gradually declining. Currently, the district has only around 2.8 lakh cows and oxen left.
In a world driven by profit, these tribal communities stand apart, valuing tradition, compassion, and reverence for animals over material gain.
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