Tricks Of A Trade

Cattle traders see a nexus between cow vigilantes and animal rights organisations in Delhi, where vigilantes unleashed violence in April. In the past year, 40,000 animals seized by them were not returned to the owners, and traders believe that they were sold. 

- Divya Trivedi

A PLANNED and brutal assault on cattle traders in Kalkaji in Delhi on April 22 by a mob of gau rakshaks (cow protectors) has brought to the fore the issue of cow vigilantism that has been rampant in the capital. Since the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) government came to power at the Centre in 2014, instances of violence by gau rakshaks have increased in Delhi.

However, representatives of the Buffalo Traders Welfare Association say the seizure of animals and the harassment of cattle traders by animal rights organisations go back a long way. In most cases, first information reports (FIRs) were registered and court proceedings initiated, but they never grabbed media attention. What seems to have changed in the past three years is the degree and nature of the violence against traders while transporting cattle from other States.

“Earlier the moment we reached the borders of Delhi, we would think we were safe, but not in the past few years. Incidents of our vehicles being intercepted by members of the People for Animals or the SGACC [Sanjay Gandhi Animal Care Centre], who call themselves gau rakshaks, are brought to our notice every other day,” said Aquil Qureishi, president of the association.

The attack in Kalkaji attracted

CATTLE TRADERS 

Aasu, Rizwan and Kamil, who were attacked by members of animal rights organisations. attention thanks to a video recording of the incident made by the NDTV reporter Radhika Bordia, who was passing by. As the video went viral, the police authorities were pressed into action and the media took note. In some incidents earlier, the transporters and drivers, too scared even to register a complaint, quietly slipped away.