On the intervening night of Friday and Saturday, Rakbar Khan, a 28-year-old Muslim man from Alwar of Rajasthan was butchered to death by the cow vigilantes on suspicion of cow smuggling, in a repeat of the April incident in which another Muslim Pehlu Khan was lynched to death in similar circumstances. Such was the savagery inflicted on Rakbar Khan that there were multiple injuries all over his body from a blunt weapon. His ribs, legs, wrists and neck were broken and vital organs were damaged.
Worse was the role played by the police, supposed to be the custodians of law, who after arriving on the scene preferred to first shelter the cows in the ‘gaushala’, instead of immediately taking the bleeding man to the hospital. In the most despicable police attitude, it took them three hours to take the bleeding man to the hospital which was barely 6 kms away, once again showing that in our country a cow is more important than a human being.
The revelation of the Rajasthan Home Minister that the victim died in police custody is even more shocking giving reasons to believe that the injured person brought to the police station must have been mercilessly beaten by the cow revering policemen. Former Congress Chief Minister of Rajasthan Ashok Gehlot has rightly questioned the motive behind taking Rakbar Khan to the police station instead of speeding him to the hospital for treatment. A judicial probe has been ordered to unfurl the entire episode.
In this context it is worth noting the attitude of some of the BJP and RSS elements for whom cow veneration takes precedence over humanity. Rajasthan labour Minister has said that such incidents are a daily occurrence and to stop the problem Muslims should stop eating meat and refrain from cow smuggling. An RSS leader has said that if cow-killing is stopped then lynching will automatically stop. Some other leaders from this faction are asking cow to be declared as ‘rashtra mata’ to stop lynching. Aren’t these religious bigots turned politicians trying to justify such killings in the name of religion?
Cow may be sacred for Hindus but its reverence cannot be imposed on others in a secular India. The NDA government should take a serious note of these developments and refrain from cow politics if it wants to earn the respect of the citizens, and rein in legislation to ensure that no one is permitted to take law in his/her hands irrespective of the motive behind it.
