‘Certified’ gau rakshaks for state soon

Sushil Manav

Tribune News Service

Chandigarh, August 8

Haryana will soon have “certified” gau rakshaks (cow protectors) who will have identity cards duly issued by the authorities with them when they are on a mission to check trafficking of cows.

The move is in view of Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s statement last year when he condemned killings in the name of cow protection and said that many of those who called themselves gau rakshaks were indulging in illegal activities at night and cow protection in the day.

The Haryana Gau Seva Aayog set up by the state BJP government has initiated the move to set up a force of “certified” or approved gau rakshaks, so that those with vested interests are kept at bay.

“We have already received nearly 275 applications of gau rakshak. Now, we have started the process of police verification of the applicants. Once it is complete, we will issue identity cards to them,” said Bhani Ram Mangla, chairman of the aayog.

The Aadhaar numbers of the official cow protectors will be linked with their official ID cards.

The state government had set up the aayog under the Haryana Gau Seva Aayog Act, 2010, for the preservation and welfare of cows. Its main objective is to ensure total prohibition of cow slaughter.

Asked what role will these “certified” cow protectors play and how they will be different from cow vigilante, Mangla said they would merely act as informers for the police and would coordinate with the authorities to check cow smuggling and slaughter.

“We will ensure that the cow protectors do not take the law into their hands. Prime Minister Narendra Modi has already expressed his concern over some people bringing bad name to gau rakshak by their activities. We will ensure that only well meaning volunteers join as cow protectors,” said Mangla.

He said Haryana already had a Cow Protection Task Force under IG Bharti Arora, with each of the 22 districts having 15 cops each from the rank of inspector to constable.

“The cow protectors issued identity cards by the aayog will work in tandem with the taskforce for the protection of cows,” he added.