The Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal (; :) is a

Hindu nationalist Hindu nationalism has been collectively referred to as the expression of social and political thought, based on the native spiritual and cultural traditions of the Indian subcontinent. "Hindu nationalism" or the correct term ''Hindū rāṣṭ ...

and

right-wing Right-wing politics describes the range of political ideologies that view certain social orders and hierarchies as inevitable, natural, normal, or desirable, typically supporting this position on the basis of natural law, economics, authorit ...

federation of cattle protection movements in

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

affiliated with the

Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh The Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh ( ; , , ) is an Indian right-wing, Hindu nationalist, paramilitary volunteer organisation. The RSS is the progenitor and leader of a large body of organisations called the Sangh Parivar (Hindi for "Sangh family" ...

and a member of the

Sangh Parivar The Sangh Parivar (translation: "Family of the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh" or the "RSS family") refers, as an umbrella term, to the collection of Hindu nationalist organisations spawned by the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), which rema ...

. It provides guidance and support in the construction of protective shelters for cattle and is supporting cattle protection movements all over India. This organization is not affiliated with any political party, its members are all volunteers and it was founded in 2012 by Pawan Pandit.

Activities

In supporting the creation of new cattle protection groups, (it often has attendant

vigilante Vigilantism () is the act of preventing, investigating and punishing perceived offenses and crimes without Right, legal authority. A vigilante (from Spanish, Italian and Portuguese “vigilante”, which means "sentinel" or "watcher") is a pers ...

paramilitary A paramilitary is an organization whose structure, tactics, training, subculture, and (often) function are similar to those of a professional military, but is not part of a country's official or legitimate armed forces. Paramilitary units carr ...

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, the organization has already set up more than 32 groups in different Indian states. It has spearheaded a campaign against the killing of cattle, filling many complaints against those who were found to be killers. A member of the group was appointed to the cattle protection state committee in

Punjab Punjab (; Punjabi: پنجاب ; ਪੰਜਾਬ ; ; also romanised as ''Panjāb'' or ''Panj-Āb'') is a geopolitical, cultural, and historical region in South Asia, specifically in the northern part of the Indian subcontinent, comprising ...

, strengthening the group's influence. They openly participate in television debates and public meetings to support cattle protection groups, such as in the Akhlaq murder case. On June 25, 2016, two organization members were allegedly shot by cattle smugglers, and on July 27, the Indian news channel, NDTV, aired a debate in which it was reported by Pawan Pandit that 100 volunteers in the cattle protection movement were shot by cattle smugglers. Later, he further said that approximately 44,000 cases of cattle smuggling have occurred in all of India, however, the media didn't broadcast anything about it. On July 31, 2016, NDTV has aired a report which shows a group of organization members forcibly stopping a truck on the outskirts of Pune, Maharashtra, yanking the driver out, snatching his phone, and pushing his truck to a police station. The report further elaborates on how the so-called "cattle protectors" and other activists can be bribed to guarantee safe passage for cattle transporters. The BGRD founder, Pawan Pandit apparently claims to condemn any violence, stating that the organization is against the violence and is working on social ground with the police, yet there's investigative media stating that vigilantes don't have a right to police anyone.

References

External links

* {{DEFAULTSORT:Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal Organizations established in 2012 Hindutva Volunteer organisations in India Hindu nationalism Political organisations based in India Sangh Parivar 2012 establishments in India Animal welfare organisations based in India Cattle welfare organisations based in India Hinduism-related controversies Right-wing populism in India Hindu organisations based in India Hinduism and cattle

Activities

See also

References

External links