Even after PM Narendra Modi making an appeal three days ago to figure out and punish cow vigilantes across the country, the State law enforcement agencies seem to keep their eyes closed towards such elements and wait until a formal order reaches to their mailbox regarding the same from ‘above’. The Police Department, which is in place only to control the goons like these without any permission from anywhere, has said that they have got no direction from anywhere to figure out cow vigilantes and hence have made no specific plan for it.
Two of the cases which have shocked the State this year so far were directly or indirectly associated with cow vigilantes. The first unfortunate one which was directly a cow vigilante case prima facie took place at Balumath in latehar district where two cattle traders, including a minor were lynched to death by some cow vigilantes on March 18. Both the victims were travelling to the nearest fair to sell their cattle. Five men, all allegedly belonging to the local Gau Rakhsha Samiti, were arrested in the case of killing Mazloom Ansari (32) and Imtiaz Khan (13). However, the local samiti distanced itself from those vigilantes at later stages.
Even the report prepared by National Minority Commission confirmed that the way police acted to handle protesters who had approached to file a report after killing, was below their standards. Villagers also complained that the cow vigilante groups often threatened them to stop their business or face consequences. The report included that there was involvement of communal elements in the Balumath incident. However, any action from the police or any other State Authority is still under consideration and the entire incident has been, time to time, projected as a result of personal animosity.
Suspicious death of Topchanchi (Dhanbad) Police Station Inspector Umesh Kachhap onJune 18 last was not a direct cow vigilante case. But the truck driver who was shot at a week ago of the death of Kachhap in Rajganj allegedly at the time of checking, was also carrying cattle itself in the truck. The issue was tried its best to give the colour of illegal cattle (mostly cow) trading by some police officials involved in shoot-out, who have been suspended.
However, Jharkhand Police spokesperson MK Bhatia said that there was no plan of taking strict actions against cow-vigilante, as there was no direction from State Government. "We have got no direction from Government to start action on whatever the PM appealed," said Bhatia.
But, Gaushalas appear to have welcomed the statement of Modi and have shown their willingness to help the police identify and punish such elements. "The real gau-rakshaks will never attack somebody. They don't actually have time to do so. They spoil our name as well," said the Manager of about 97-year old Jharia Dhanbad Gaushala Munna Pandey. Reflecting similar views, Executive Committee Member of Ranchi Gaushala Nyas and an active gau-rakshak Rajkumar Tibrewal said that the cow-vigilantes were the enemies of cows.