SC’s condemn on cow vigilantism

Why in news?

Recently Supreme Court raised its concern to stop the attacks on innocents in the name of cow vigilantism.

What is cow vigilantism?

• In India, cows are venerated by a large segment of the population.
• Cow vigilante violence involves mob attacks in the name of "cow protection," targeting mostly Muslims.
• It has swelled since 2014.
• Recently emerged cow vigilante groups have accused some Indian Muslims and Dalits of cattle theft or slaughter.
• They violence lead to number of deaths.

What are the reported incidences of cow vigilantism?

• Rajasthan-A dairy farmer from Haryana was beaten to death by a mob of alleged cow vigilantes.
• Cow vigilantes stopped and assaulted Tamil Nadu animal husbandry officials transporting Rajasthan’s native Tharparkar breed.
• Haryana- 15 year old Muslim boy was stabbed on board train, who allegedly for a beef-eating.
• Gujarat-Cow vigilantes publicly flogged a Dalit family for skinning a dead cow.
• A Muslim man died after being assaulted by alleged cow vigilantes for transporting two animals.
• Maharashtra - Series of cases has been reported from various parts of the state, the state was silent in taking actions against the wrong doers.

What is the significance of SC’s move?

• It ordered the States and the Union Territories to appoint nodal police officers in every district to crack down on such groups
• It has also asked states to file status reports on what they are doing to prevent vigilantism.
• The court exhorted the Centre to uphold its constitutional mandate under Article 256 of co-operative federalism and direct the States to act against the groups.
• It said the Centre could not remain silent, leaving everything to the States.
• The court also directed the Chief Secretaries and Directors General of Police to take steps to protect the highways from vigilante mobs.
• Haryana, Rajasthan, Maharashtra and Gujarat accepted the apex court’s suggestion to appoint dedicated officers in the rank ofDeputy Superintendent of Police to prevent ‘gau rakshaks’.

What is a need for such direction from SC?

• Cow-protection groups see themselves as preventing theft, protecting the cow or upholding the law in an Indian state which bans cow slaughter.
• So far no PIL had been filed against the carcasses of slaughtered animals found strewn on roads and public places but minorities are attacked in the name of cow protection.
• Dalits and Muslims have reportedly been at the receiving end of violence unleashed by lynch mobs, especially in the four northern States.
• The Centre has maintained that violence by ‘gau rakshaks’ was a ‘State subject’ and it had no role to play, though it condemned all forms of violence.

Source: The Hindu, Indian Express