Cow protection task force formed in Gurugram

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that the district-level “Cow Protection Task Force” will play a vital role in gathering information about smuggling and atrocities on cattle

The district administration on Friday set up a task force to crack down on cow vigilantes and work for rescue and rehabilitation of the stray cattle, a week after the Haryana government asked districts to set up special committees mandated by the state’s law.

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav addresses a meeting regarding the Cow Protection Task Force at Mini Secretariat in Gurugram. (Parveen Kumar/HT Photo)

Deputy commissioner Nishant Kumar Yadav said that the district-level “Cow Protection Task Force” will play a vital role in gathering information about smuggling and atrocities on cattle. “The task force will ensure immediate action against any illegal activities by both vigilantes and the smugglers,” the deputy commissioner said.

The state government’s order came in the wake of the murder of two Muslim men from Rajasthan by alleged vigilantes in Bhiwani on February 15, and on the day HT reported how the lack of such committees is among various factors allowing vigilantism to thrive, which has played out in groups targeting people in the name of cow smuggling.

The task force will have 11 members --- six government officials, including the deputy commissioner as the chairman, three people nominated by the state Gau Seva Ayog, and two gau sevaks nominated by the deputy commissioner.

Two more government members will soon be added to the task force, the added.

Yadav said that team members have been directed to spread awareness that if any cow protection group gets a tip-off about cattle smuggling, they should inform the nearest police station and the Cow Protection Task Force.

He added that strict action will be taken against a person or a group if they are found chasing smugglers on their own, or creating a ruckus. “Anyone found carrying illegal weapons and chasing alleged smugglers will be arrested from the spot. Teams from police stations concerned will be deployed at key stretches to keep a check on the movement of vigilante groups, and to ensure they do not create ruckus or indulge in violence,” the deputy commissioner said.

Haryana’s Gauvansh Sanrakshan and Gausamvardhan Act, 2015, which prohibited cow slaughter, trafficking and consumption of beef in the state, contains provisions allowing “any police officer not below the rank of sub-inspector or any person authorised in this behalf by the government” to enforce its provisions.

In July 2021, the Haryana government notified state- and district-level cow protection task force committees to “give teeth to the act”.

Jawahar Yadav, officer on special duty (OSD) to Haryana chief minister Manohar Lal Khattar, said that the government had reiterated to districts the need to set up such task force. “The units will be monitored by the state government and we will keep a close watch on their operations. Our aim is to protect cattle and to ensure they are not smuggled for slaughtering,” he said.

The deputy commissioner said that they also plan to rescue destitute animals in the district, and tag them for identification. Simultaneously, cow shelters will be provided financial assistance for fodder cultivation and rehabilitation of stray cattle.

The task force will also submit a monthly action taken report to the deputy commissioner and chairman of the Gauseva Aayog.

Yadav also appealed to the residents that they should share information about any illegal activity such as cow smuggling, atrocities against cows as well as violence by vigilante groups with the local authorities, and added that the identity of such residents will be protected.