India's Hindu nationalists have, in the past, suggested that cow dung be used in nuclear bunkers to keep out radiation, claimed that cow urine could cure cancer - as well as many other diseases - and marketed cow urine-based skincare products. Now they have come up with a soft drink made of, yes, cow urine.
Last month, the research and development section of the Hindu nationalist group Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS) began promoting its Gau Jal ('cow water' in Sanskrit) project, announcing that it was all set to launch the 'health drink' before year's end.
RSS aims to establish Hindu supremacy in India and is known for its opposition to 'corrupting' western food imports. It runs many Goratna (cow product) shops across the country, selling soap, shampoo, toothpaste, skincare creams and aftershave lotions - all made from cow urine and dung - with supposedly medicinal qualities.
Gau Jal project experts in the northern city of Kanpur said the soft drink - currently undergoing laboratory tests - would contain small traces of urine, which would be mixed with aloe vera and gooseberry, among other ingredients. They claimed the drink could help fight diabetes, cancer and delay the ageing process.
'We have also added many other useful herbs. This soft drink not only has cooling properties, but also cures various other diseases,' said Ramanuj Mishra, the officer in charge of the project's Kanpur office. 'Unlike other soft drinks, it will have some medicinal properties, and many will call it a health drink, in fact. We may change its name before its commercial release.'
The head of RSS' Gau Seva Sangh (GSS), or Cow Protection Organisation, Om Prakash, will manage the main production plant in the Hindu holy city of Hardwar. He said the drink would be very cheap because of an abundance of cow urine. 'It will not smell like urine and will be tasty,' Mr Prakash said. 'It won't be like carbonated drinks and will be devoid of any toxins ... Cow urine offers a cure for around 70 to 80 incurable diseases like diabetes. All are curable by cow urine,' he claimed.