The Quint Investigation: Why Do Hindus Smuggle Cows in Haryana?

If you have followed the first part of The Quint’s investigation on cow smuggling, you’ll know what this story is about.

In this part of our investigation, we bring you details that prove cow smuggling is not what you have been made to understand. The matter isn’t as simple as Muslims conspiring against the ‘gau mata’ after all.

Shocked?

Yes, Hindus are as involved in smuggling cows as Muslims. The Quint has accessed the details of FIRs filed by the Haryana police under the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan. So far in the 317 FIRs that have been registered – out of which 228 FIRs have been registered in 14 districts of Haryana – 48 Hindus have been named.

The Quint travels to Khaleta, a small village in Revari district in Haryana, to meet a man named Sunil, who has been booked under the new cow protection law in Haryana. He was behind bars for three months and is now out on bail. A driver by profession, Sunil says he is innocent and that he wasn’t smuggling calves.

Ji, main Lohar ke bachade le jaa raha tha. Musalwadi gaon mein chodna tha. Jab main usse chhodne gaya toh raaste mein ek sharabi aadmi tha, usne mujhe rukwaya. Usne daru pi rakhi thi. Usne mujhe gaadi se utarwaya. Usne mujhe maara peeta aur police ko bula liya. Police aayi toh usne mujh par cow protection ka case laga diya. (I was carrying calves of a Lohar (a low-caste Hindu) to drop off at Musalwadi village. On the way, a drunkard stopped me. He asked me where I was going. He was drunk and forced me to get out of the car. He hit me and called the police. When police saw calves in my car, they charged me under the Cow Protection Act.)

Sunil, Accused of Cow Smuggling

Interestingly, in Hisar district of Haryana, in the six FIRs which have been registered so far under this law, five of the accused are Hindus. Not a single accused is Muslim.

Why Are Hindus Involved?

The Haryana government was quick to pass a cow protection law in the State Assembly and raise the term of imprisonment to 10 years. But did the government think about the fate of non-milking cows? What would happen to them once they were abandoned by their owners? How would the government handle the increasing number of stray cows on the streets of Haryana? Why are there no government-run gau shalas (cow-shed) ?

The Quint spoke to a gau shala owner in Sohna, Haryana to find out more.

Hindu ki majboori hoti hai ki gai agar doodh nahi deti hai toh kya karenge uss gai ka. Kisan apne ghar ka palan poshan kar le toh bohot hai. Govt ko gau shala ko support karna chahiye ki agar koi gai chhodta hai toh gau shala unhe khareed sake aur uska palan poshan kar sake. (Some Hindus are forced to sell cows if they are non-milking. Farmers can’t take care of them, as they don’t even have enough money to feed their families. The government should financially support gau shalas, so that they can buy these cows from people and take care of them.) 

Rajkumar, Gau Shala Owner

According to the gau shala owners, a non-milking cow is generally sold for Rs 2,000-3,000 to butchers. But with this law in place, farmers can’t sell them and are forced to pay donations to gau shalas to look after their cows. So, most of them end up simply leaving them on the streets.

Aisa hai ki gau shala mein gai dene ke liye paise dene padte hai. Toh is liye log usse open chhod dete hai, gai awara ghoomti rehti hai. Taskar ko iss baat ka moka mil jata hai aur wo gai le jate hai. (People have to donate money to gau shalas to leave their non-milking cows there. That’s why they choose to abandon them on the streets. Smugglers then seize the opportunity to pick them up.) 

Rajkumar

Humari Teen Maa Hai; Apni Maa, Dharti Maa, Aur Gau Maa: Gau Rakshak

22-year-old Harpal is a labourer by day and a gau rakshak at night in Sohna district in Haryana. He was shot while trying to rescue cows from smugglers.

Hum 7 bande Pachgawa toll tax pe khade hue the. Waha humne dekha ek gadi aa rahi hai badi speed se. 2 saal ka experience hai toh pata chal hi jata hai ki yeh gadi kaisi hai. Door se hi dikh gaya tha ki yeh gai ki gaadi hai. Gaadi ke peeche ek bike thi. Jaise hi gaadi toll tax par aayi usne break laga di aur peche wali bike ne firing shuru kar di. Hume waha pohoche 2 minute hi huye honge. Unhone firing shuru kar di toh mujhe goli lagi aur mein hospital pohoch gaya. (Once we went to Pachagawa, a village in Haryana. There were seven of us when we reached the toll gate. A speeding car approached us. My two years of experience helped me understand that it was a vehicle used to smuggle cows. There was a bike behind the car. The moment our car stopped at the toll, the bikers began firing at us. I was shot, and later found myself in hospital.) 

Harpal, Gau Rakshak

Harpal also told us that in one incident, a cop was killed in a tussle with cow smugglers. He says that the police extend their support to rescue the cows. If cow smugglers get caught, they are handed over to the police.

In spite of being shot, Harpal says he will continue to be a gau rakshak.

Kehte hai ki Hindu dharam 3 mataye hai, dharti mata, janam dene wali mata aur gai mata. Yahi teen mataye hai. (It is said that in Hindu culture there are three mothers; the one who gives birth, the motherland, and the mother cow.) 

Harpal

What made Harpal a gau rakshak?

Ek baar maine dekha tha ki gau taskaro ne gau ki gardan kat rakhi thi. Toh uss time par hakikat baat hai ankho se aasu aa gaye the. (Once I saw cow smugglers beheading a cow. Honestly, tears came to my eyes.)

Harpal

Harpal says he is not paid to be a gau rakshak and spends money from his own pocket whenever the need arises.

In part 1 of our investigation, we brought you the first-hand narration of cow smugglers for whom slaughtering cows is a source of income and meat. On the other hand, for gau rakshaks like Harpal, protecting cows is a matter of religious sentiment. Both sides make justifications for their acts. Instead of acting as a peacemaker in this tug of war, the state government has aggravated the tension by bringing in the new cow protection law.

We Need Gau Shalas For the Welfare of Cows

Mr Khattar, you implemented the new cow protection law, but did you or your men ever think about the welfare of the cows? What will happen to the stray non-milking cows? Why are there no government gau shalas to rear cows?

The Quint spoke to a few villagers to find out whether new law has helped them. Here is their reply:

American bachade se bohot bhaari dikkat hai. Kheti mein bohot bhaari nuksan karte hai. Yeh kheto se nikaalne se nikalte nahi. Government inka koi samadhan kar nahi rahi. Gau shala mein le jate hai, paisa dete hai phir bhi gau shala wale nahi lete. Kisi jaankar ke karan agar le lete hai toh doosre din nikal dete hai. (American cows ransack our farms. They spoil our crops. The government should find a solution to this problem. We take them to the gau shalas, even pay the gau shala owners to keep them there, but they still refuse to do so. And if they happen to keep them because of some contacts, the very next day they are let loose again.)

Hawaldar Choudhary, Farmer, Khaleta Village

Given the facts on the ground, can cow slaughter still be considered a communal, rather than a secular issue?

The Quint has accessed some of the FIRs registered by the Haryana police under the new cow protection law.

FIRs under the Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act by thequint on Scribd

Video Editor: Hitesh Singh
Cameraperson: Poonam Agarwal
Illustration: Rahul Gupta