Alwar murder: Has cow vigilantism split the Sangh Parivar?

On April 7, 2017, Pehlu Khan, a 55-year-old dairy farmer from Haryana, went to Rajasthan to buy a milch buffalo but instead bought a cow because he got a good deal.

He got the animal, which was giving 12 litres of milk, for Rs 45,000. Next day, he and four others including his two sons were beaten brutally by villagers over suspicion that they were smuggling cows in Rajasthan's Alwar district. On April 9, 2017, Pehlu Khan succumbed to injury.

The gau rakshaks or cow vigilantes accused them of illegally smuggling cows for slaughter. A person identified as Damodar Singh filed an FIR which states that Khan and the others did not have a purchase document or receipt. But Irshad Khan, son of the deceased, showed the receipt, which has the stamp of the Jaipur Municipal Corporation.

The gau rakshak's lynching of Pehlu Khan has again brought the issue of cow vigilantism on the national forum. The Opposition said it is sign of collapse of law and order. They said similar incidents were taking place in Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat as also Uttar Pradesh, all ruled by the BJP.

While the Opposition is hitting hard at the ruling dispensation, BJP's ministers are speaking in different languages or in diverse voices.

Speaking in the Rajya Sabha, Minister of State for parliamentary affairs Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi said no incident as reported in the media took place in Alwar.

He said: “Jis tarah ki ghatna pesh ki ja rahi hai, aisi koi ghatna zameen par nahi hui hai” (the kind of incident that is being presented has not occurred on the ground).

But in the Lok Sabha, defending the Rajasthan government, home minister Rajnath Singh said it has taken cognisance of the incident and action as per law would be taken.

Two central ministers were speaking in two different voices.

The man who is responsible for maintaining law and order in Rajasthan is its home minister Gulab Chand Kataria. He said it was "alright" if some people caught those who were illegally transporting animals but maintained that "no one has the right to take the law in their own hands".

The man responsible for prosecution of the accused has left no one in doubt about his sympathy with the perpetrators of the crime.

This is not the first time when ministers and different outfits of the Sangh Parivar spoke in different languages on this issue. On August 6, 2016, speaking at the Indira Gandhi Stadium Complex, PM Narendra Modi said: “People who have set up shop in the name of gau raksha make me very angry. I have seen some people who do anti-social activities at night and don the garb of cow protectors in the morning. The states should prepare dossiers of such cow protectors... 70-80 per cent will be those who indulge in anti-social activities and try to hide their sins by pretending to be cow protectors.”

If ministers like Gulab Chand Kataria would have prepared a dossier of such cow protectors, as suggested by the Prime Minister, Pehlu Khan would have been alive.

A day later, Modi again spoke in Telangana and accused the cow vigilantes of trying to create tension in society. He said: "I want to tell everybody, beware of these fake cow protectors. These handful of vigilantes have nothing to do with cow protection, but want to create 'tandav' (tension) in society."

He also said: "In the name of cow protection, these fake cow protectors are trying to disturb peace and harmony of the nation. I want the real cow protectors to expose them (fake ones) and the state governments should take stringent action against them."

Following two strong statements by Modi against cow vigilantes, the RSS too endorsed his position. RSS general secretary Suresh “Bhaiyaji” Joshi said in the statement: “We appeal to all sections to remain aware of elements who want to disturb the environment. We expect the administration to take speedy action against such individuals and groups who break the law.”

The Vishwa Hindu Parishad, another organ of the Sangh Parivar, wasn't very amused with the PM's stand on this issue. Its general secretary Dr Surendra Jain said: “We will not like to comment on the issue [of violence against Dalits]. However, cow protection has been going on since long. We will continue to work for it."

Last year in October, Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh chief Mohan Bhagwat defended cow-protection groups. He said these “law-abiding good people” perform an important role and they shouldn’t be confused with self-styled, motivated vigilantes. It was in contrast with Modi’s outbursts against "gau-rakshaks".

The cause of the gau rakshaks seems to have divided the Sangh Parivar. On some occasions, it tries to be seen with Modi but most often tries to echo the sentiments of swayamsevaks that is pro-gau rakshaks. 

This division in the Parivar gets reflected when various representatives from different outfits speak on the subject. Seems the Parivar is in utter confusion. As the PM said, these "gau-rakshaks" are creating "tandav" (tension) in the society", but the Prime Minister has neither cracked his whip nor spoken on the recent violence in Alwar.

Hope Narendra Modi will walk the talk and stop this "tandav".

Also read: How many Dadris and Alwars before we wake up to gau rakshak murders?