Unrest Incited by Cattle Protection: Vigilante 'Animal Rights' Organizations Assaulting Truck Operators in India
In the heart of Uttar Pradesh, a self-proclaimed cow protection group named the Akhil Bhrataiya Gau Seva Samiti (ABGS) has been making headlines. Based in Vrindavan city, the group is known for its vigilante actions against truck drivers suspected of transporting cattle for slaughter.
According to reports, the group, often referred to as "gau rakshaks" in India, works closely with local police to save cows from being slaughtered. ABGS president Bharat Gautam even claimed that his team receives support from the Vrindavan police, including manpower and financial assistance.
However, the relationship between the ABGS and the police has been called into question. Sonu, a leader of another cow protection group, the Gau Raksha Dal (GRD), alleged that sometimes the police show up after a vehicle is intercepted, but at other times they are with the gau rakshaks during these incidents.
The allegations against the ABGS and other similar groups have gained traction following an investigation by Bellingcat and Alt News. The investigation uncovered videos on social media showing violent assaults by members of five self-described animal welfare groups, with the ABGS being one of them. The vigilantes attacking truck drivers are often closely aligned with hardline Hindu nationalist organisations, and a majority of their victims are Muslims.
The men beaten up by Sonu and his team in March were arrested and spent at least two months in custody before being released on bail. Bail orders for these two men, found on the district court website of Palwal, confirm this.
Sonu, however, denied that his team beat people up. When shown videos of the assault, he claimed that while they were chasing the truck drivers, the truck collided with another car, and the passengers of that car beat up the truck drivers. "We were blamed", he said, even though videos of the assault were shared by members of his own team.
The investigation also revealed links between the ABGS and a Mumbai-registered charitable trust. Sonu, who is the Palwal district president of GRD, was found to be using an ambulance provided by this trust for the transportation of sick or injured cows.
The ABGS headquarters are located in Vrindavan city's Venkatesh Temple. The group's activities have also won them recognition from the Uttar Pradesh government, with Sonu receiving an award for "cow and social service" from a cabinet minister in January last year.
However, the violent nature of their operations has raised concerns. In the dark of the night, their work takes on a more violent edge, involving chasing, shooting at, and beating up truck drivers they claim are "smuggling" cows for slaughter.
Elaine Pearson, Asia Director at Human Rights Watch, stated that cow protection has become part of the political agenda of leaders of the BJP, and in some cases, they have backed the alleged actions of the suspects while the police have failed to take action against them.
When reached for comment, senior police officers from the districts that these groups operate in did not answer questions about alleged police support for the cow vigilantes. Multiple calls made to senior police officers in Mathura district also went unanswered.
The issue of cow protection has been a contentious one in India, with many states prohibiting the slaughter of cows and having strict laws on the transportation, sale, and purchase of cattle. These laws have become more stringent since the BJP came into power in 2014.
As the investigation continues, it remains to be seen how the Indian authorities will address these allegations and whether they will take steps to curb the violence committed by these cow protection groups.
