Chaudhry Sandeep Dheeranwas, a farmer leader who was active during the farmers’ protest, said cow vigilantism is being carried out with the government’s tacit support. The government has given a free hand to the hooligans. “These chaps are unemployed and worthless. And they are given arms, too,” he said
Team Clarion
NEW DELHI — Farmers in Haryana’s Hisar have filed a complaint with the local police against cow vigilantes after their oxen were seized by them in the name of cow protection.
The cattle were handed back to the farmers after a day-long protest by them and a dialogue with senior police officials, media reports said on Tuesday.
“Oxen of farmers were seized through the hooliganism for extortion in the name of cow protection. That’s why, we held a sit-in the whole day before the Sadar police station of Hisar,” said farmers’ leader Sandeep.
In their complaint, the farmers asked the police to book the accused for extortion, dacoity and a threat to kill.
He said the DSP assured them that the police would file an FIR on the basis of their complaint and give them a copy of it. “The administration has accepted that it’s their mistake,” he said.
Sandeep, who is also a leader of a farmers’ group, Pagdi Kisan Sangharsh Samiti, said cow vigilantes seize different types of cows from the farmers. “It is pure dadagiri (goondaism)”, he said.
His group is against all such illegal activities and stands by the farmers who are being harassed.
“I warn those who unleash hooliganism and extort money in the name of cow protection that their behavior is not acceptable. You should do your own work for your livelihood. Let farmers earn their livelihood through cattle trading. Don’t indulge in hooliganism. This is wrong,” he said.
Cow vigilantes, Sandeep said, intercept cattle traders in secluded places, extort money from them and thrash them. He said his group stands by the farmers and was ready to extend help to them irrespective of their religion and caste.
Reacting to the incident, Chaudhry Sandeep Dheeranwas, a farmer leader who was active during the farmers’ protest, said that cow vigilantism is being carried out with the government’s tacit support. The government has given a free hand to the hooligans. “These chaps are unemployed and worthless. And they are given arms, too,” he said.
Talking about the latest incident, Dheeranwas said cow vigilantes had abused farmers, demanded Rs 10,000 from them and threatened to kill them.
“These people are doing ‘dallali’ in the name of cows. On the border of Rajasthan and Haryana, they extract money from them to let them cross the border. These people are the biggest cow smugglers,” he said.
Warning cow vigilantes, Dheeranwas said that he wanted to tell all those who want to become like Monu Manesar: This is Hisar, not Mewat where they demonise people and loot money in the name of religion. “We will teach such a lesson to them that they will remember forever,” he said.
