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Peacocks don’t have sex, cow’s bellow destroys germs: Rajasthan HC Judge Mahesh Chandra Sharma

In his order, Justice Sharma cited some research work and named some scientists.

WHEN RAJASTHAN High Court Judge Mahesh Chandra Sharma said on Wednesday that the peacock “does not indulge in sex with the peahen”, it was not the first time that he was offering this theory. Ruling on a peacock poaching case, Justice Sharma, on January 11, 2016, made the same observation about how the peacock is a “brahmachari” (celibate).

“This theory about peacocks drinking tears to breed is an old hoax. They breed like all other birds, by means of sexual copulation,” said Bikram Grewal, a well-known ornithologist.

In his order, Justice Sharma cited some research work and named some scientists. One of those quoted was “German scientist Rudle Steiner”, which is an apparent reference to Rudolf Steiner (1861-1925), an Austrian philosopher, architect and esotericist. He is behind the concept of biodynamic agriculture which involved, among other things, horn-manure — a humus mixture prepared by filling the horn of a cow with cow manure, burying it in the ground to decompose during the winter and recovered for use the following spring. Steiner believed these preparations mediated terrestrial and cosmic forces into the soil.

Steiner claimed Christ as the centre of earthly evolution. “It becomes clear to us through spiritual science that the being whom we call Christ is to be recognised as the centre of life on Earth, that the Christian religion is the ultimate religion for Earth’s whole future,” he wrote.

Most of the other names in Justice Sharma’s order are incomplete.

It is unclear who “agriculture scientists Dr Julius and Dr Book German” are. As for their attributed claim that “cow is the only divine animal that exhales oxygen”, no living being other than plants exhale oxygen. Animals, however, exhale unused oxygen, as lungs cannot process all the oxygen that is inhaled.

According to the 2006 FAO report, the livestock sector accounts for 9 per cent of carbon dioxide derived from human-related activities, but produces a much larger share of even more harmful greenhouse gases.

The “Dr King” named in the order may refer to a Dr King of Madras, who is mentioned in several online claims for his work on how cow dung destroys cholera germs. No authentic reference to his identity of research is available.

Similarly, there are numerous references on the Internet to Russian scientist Shirovich named in the order but the full name or affiliation is absent.

‘Peacocks don’t have sex’: Raj HC judge’s comment gets Twitterati chirping

The Rajasthan HC judge’s explanation has since then stirred up a buzz on social media, especially Twitter.

Mahesh Chandra Sharma, the Rajasthan High Court judge, who had earlier said that he wanted to see the cow declared as India’s national animal and had directed the state government to coordinate with the BJP-led Centre to make that happen, now had a fascinating explanation behind why peacock is the national bird.

Elucidating about the mating process of the birds, he told reporters, “Jo mor hai, yeh aajeevan bhramachari hai. Kabhi bhi morni ke saath sex nahi karta hai. Iske jo aasu aate hai, morni usse chubhkar garbhavati hoti hai, mor ya morni ko janm deti hai (The peacock is a lifelong celibate. It does not have sex with the peahen. The peahen gets impregnated with the tears of the peacock and then gives birth to a peacock or a peahen.) Sharma’s remark has since then stirred up a storm on social media, especially Twitter.