Amnesty Flags Rise in Cow Vigilante Violence, Seeks Action Against Groups
State Governments Urged to Prosecute Self-Styled ‘Gau Rakshaks’
Srinagar, July 1, KNT: Amnesty International India on Friday said that attacks on minorities in the name of cow protection cannot be justified and called upon state governments to investigate and prosecute members of so-called cow protection groups involved in intimidation and violence.
In a statement, the rights body referred to a June 10 incident near Faridabad in Haryana where members of a local cow protection group allegedly forced two men, suspected of transporting beef, to consume a mixture containing cow dung and cow urine. A video of the episode circulated widely on social media and appeared to show the men being assaulted. While police reportedly arrested the two men, Amnesty said no action was taken against the members of the vigilante group involved.
Cow slaughter is banned in Haryana and several other states. The statement noted that Haryana’s Education Minister had publicly defended such actions, stating that youths were stepping forward for cow protection and that recent laws had strengthened reverence for cows.
Amnesty further quoted a leader of the cow protection group as saying that the men were made to consume the mixture as a form of purification before being handed over to police, claiming they were assisting the state in punishing alleged offenders.
Abhirr V P, Campaigner at Amnesty International India, said incidents of violent attacks by cow vigilante groups against suspected cattle traders appeared to be increasing. He stressed that enforcing the law is the responsibility of the state and not private groups, adding that silence or encouragement from public officials emboldens such actors.
The organization also cited earlier incidents, including the lynching of Mohammed Akhlaq in Dadri in September 2015, the killing of a youth in Himachal Pradesh in October 2015, and the discovery of two cattle traders’ bodies in Jharkhand in March 2016.
Amnesty said many of those targeted in such incidents have been Muslims and urged state governments to unequivocally condemn the violence and ensure accountability, asserting that anti-cow slaughter laws must not be misused to justify attacks on religious minorities. [KNT]
