Following severe backlash from various quarters, the Manohar lal Khattar Government has finally shelved its plan to issue identity cards to gau rakshaks.
The controversial decision to issue ID cards to ‘gau rakshaks’ to weed out fake cow protectors was taken by the BJP led Haryana Government in August last year after Prime Minister Narendra Modi spoke out against ‘self-styled’ cow vigilante groups and asked people to beware of such groups, who indulge in violence.
Haryana Government’s decision to issue ID cards to the gau rakshaks had attracted sharp criticism from opposition and social activists, who had alleged that the decision would act as a licence for vigilantism and allow the cow protectors to take the law in their hands. This decision, the opposition had alleged would led to more violence and mob attacks in the name of cow protection.
The State Government, meanwhile, has now shelved its plan, after months-long exercise starting last year to compile a district wise data of cow vigilantes groups for police verification.
A list of more than 200 gau raksha dals in Haryana was handed over to the Police Department, which had sought Rs 500 per person for the verification process. However, after the request of Haryana Gau Seva Aayog, the Police Department had later decided to conduct police verification of gau rakshaks free of cost.
Bhani Ram Mangla, chairman of Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog while talking to The Pioneer said that the proposal to issue identity cards to gau rakshaks has been shelved, for now.
The State would soon be made stray cattle free besides the State Government’s constituted teams are making efforts to prevent cattle smuggling and slaughter in Haryana. We feel that there is no need to issue identity cards to gau rakshaks now as the government is dealing with the issue of cow smuggling and slaughter efficiently, said Mangla when asked about the reasons to withdraw the plan.
If a need arises later, we will reconsider the proposal to given identity cards to them (gau rakshaks). But, at present, there is no such need to do so, he added.
The Haryana Gau Sewa Aayog had recently directed the gau raksha dals to refrain from taking the law in their own hands. The directions had come after spur in the incidents of brutal attacks by gau rakshaks against minorities over suspicions of cow smuggling and slaughter across the country.
In June this year, the Faridabad lynching case had triggered a nation-wide outrage with opposition parties blaming the ruling BJP for deteriorating law and order situation in Haryana and killings in the name of cow protection. A young Muslim boy Junaid was killed onboard a Delhi-Mathura passenger train between Ballabgarh and Mathura stations while his brothers, Hashim and Shakir, were injured by a mob, which had taunted and repeatedly called them ‘anti-nationals’ and ‘beef eaters’.
In the past also, Haryana has witnessed a string of incidents involving ‘gau rakshaks’ attempting to enforce the law on their own. Several videos had surfaced showing self proclaimed gau rakshaks thrashing minorities for allegedly possessing beef in the State.
Be it enforcing a strict Act to keep a check on cow slaughter and smuggling, appointing a senior IPS officer to monitor cases of cow smuggling or ear tagging the cattle, the ruling saffron party in Haryana is known for going overboard in the name of cow protection.
Apart from proposal of issuing identity cards to gau rakshaks, Haryana Government had also come under fire last year over its move to collect samples of biryani from Muslim dominated Mewat district to keep a tab on consumption of beef in the area, just ahead of Eid al-Azha.