This is the story of Pehlu Khan who died after being assaulted by Gau Rakshaks on a national highway in Rajasthan in April 2017. Pehlu Khan fell prey to cow vigilantes or Gau Rakshaks and is therefore one of the most memorable faces of the Victims of Gautankwad or terrorism in the name of cow protection.

A brief history of India’s Bovine Fixation

Image: Amir Rizvi / CJPCow protection or ‘Gau Raksha’ is not a new concept in India. Way back in 1881, Arya Samaj founder, Dayanand Saraswati had proclaimed cow slaughter an anti-Hindu act in his book Gaukarunanidhi. Cow protection found the ardent endorsement from Gandhi himself!Most Indian states have laws against cow slaughter. In fact, only Kerala, Poschim Bongo, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Tripura and Sikkim haven’t banned cow slaughter. And while the Directive Principles of State Policy say, “The State shall endeavor to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on modern and scientific lines and shall take steps for preserving and improving the breeds, and prohibiting the slaughter of cows and calves and other milch and draught cattle”, there is no Constitutional ban on the consumption of beef.However, cow vigilantism, where groups of self-proclaimed “Gau-Rakshaks” or cow protection squads go about ambushing people who transport cows, is a more extreme take on the concept of protecting cows. Over the last few years, the frequency and intensity of such attacks has increased giving birth to a violent movement that has earned the moniker Gautankwad.