Yameen Dar
While attending to his father, Mohammad Sadiq Gujjar, who is hospitalized after being attacked by a mob, the son fears about the well-being of his mother and sister back home. It has been 24 hours since the attack and the entire family has been consumed by the fear, while the family tries to grasp why the incident has happened and the suddenness of the attack.
Two men returning from their fields after a busy day of work with the bulls at Danu and on their way to their native Bagni, they were accused of cow slaughter, sharp-edged knives were forced into their hands, and videos of the duo with knives portrayed as meant for ‘slaughter’ of the animals were circulated widely on the social media handles.
“My father’s cousin lost a tooth while he was being hit by a rod and my father has got stitches on his forehead. Both of them were beaten to death by 15-20 men. These men beat them ruthlessly for almost 2 hours until the police showed up at the spot. The mob dispersed, although, the police said that they have caught a few men who were part of the mob and that they are investigating the mob and into the incident,” the victim’s son told The Kashmiriyat.
“On 7th May, late in the evening, my father had left his sister’s home after breaking fast. Before reaching home, he had to cross a stream. While he was leading his cattle across the stream, a mob of 15-20 people showed up and surrounded my father and his cousin. The mob had already started shouting, abusing, and accusing both of them, of smuggling cattle to Srinagar, where they are slaughtered. Before the two cousins could gather any thought, they fainted due to the ruthless beating.”
“I fear for my mother and my sister, who is home and there is no one apart from me and my father who would look after them. I fear because the mob was the people who lived among us, the people from our village. The place where the incident took place, is just half a kilometer away from our home, I’ve brought this to the notice of the police, they have been helpful,” informed Mohammad Sadiq’s son.
Zahid Chowdary, who is State President of Jammu Kashmir Gujjar Bakerwal Youth Welfare Committee responding to the incident wrote, Another incident of Mob lynching repeated in Jammu, two Gujjar were badly beaten by RSS goons in Garhote area of Tehsil Balwal of Dist Jammu, when they were returning back from their fields with cattle As the Govt is responsible because no action taken in past incidents by Police.
According to the international media organization, Reuters, there have been as many as 67 cow vigilante attacks between the years 2010-2017, including the case of Akbar Khan, who was lynched in 2018. The Human rights watch, in a survey on the number of cow vigilante attacks, said that 44 attacks have happened from 2015-2018.
Not that far but recently, in the pandemic itself, another cow vigilante attack took place in the state of Karnataka, India.
Speaking to The Kashmiriyat Mr. Zahid Choudhary said, “such unfortunate incidents have happened before Modi government too but have risen drastically post-2014 elections. We are aware of the modus operandi of police here towards such incidents, they arrest few, and then nothing is done, police is bribed and by some hook or crook the culprits are released.”
Talking about the recent incident he said,” I have spoken to the police earlier they had arrested 5 people among the mob of more than 20 men, only after pressure is put from senior police officials the police have arrested one more person, who according to witnesses there was the main culprit carrying the mob.”
He said that the approach of the Police police has been lethargic, it’s a conspiracy in which police personnel of lower ranks, are involved with such mobs, they communicate the information to main culprits, so they could run and find safe shelter.
Mr. Zahid demanded that proper laws must be put forth so such incidents stop totally and that those who have been victims, justice must come to them.”
An official of Jammu Kashmir Police however said that they have launched an investigation into the case under the FIR no 36/2021 u/s 307/341/323/147 IPC & 4/25 A.
The main accused has been arrested, the official added.
Last year, Nayeem Ahmed Khan, father to four girls, as reported by The Kashmiriyat, was slaughtered by cow vigilante, when a mob opened fire at cattle traders. Another report said that he was carrying no animals during the attack. The growing number of incidents led to a notable number of people filing Public Interest litigation (Pils) in the apex court. The court bench sat with then CJI, Justice Deepak Mishra, and two others.
The CJI delivered the judgment for the court, that the people were taking the law into their own hands and decided that justice by a mob is illegal and cannot be condoned. Days after the judgment, a man named Rakbar Khan was lynched in Alwar, for transporting validly purchased cows.
In the run for making an “Ek Bharta, Shreshtha Bharat (United India, great India)”, ironically, 97% of the cow vigilante attacks have been post BJP win in 2014. The data were analyzed under the report of IndiaSpend by Hindustan Times.