Muslim Man Attempting to Slaughter Cow Killed by Vigilante Group

In Northern Haryana, India... 4-5 Suspects
Extreme 'Cow Protection' Movement Since 2014

[Asia Economy Reporter Kim Hyun-jung] Two Muslim men attempting to secretly slaughter cows in India were attacked by a 'cow vigilante group' and died.

According to local Indian media such as NDTV on the 19th (local time), the incident occurred on the night of the 15th in the Nuh area of Haryana state in northern India. Police investigations revealed that the murdered Muslim men were from the neighboring Rajasthan state and tried to secretly transport cows for slaughter. In response, 4 to 5 vigilantes from Haryana kidnapped and assaulted the Muslim men, who were later found burned to death inside a car on the morning of the 16th. Police have arrested one suspect, a taxi driver, and are pursuing other suspects.

A resident pulling a cow in Chennai, India. The photo is not related to the specific content of the article.
Photo by EPA Yonhap News

Hindus, who make up about 80% of India's population, regard cows as motherly figures and consider them sacred. Especially since the inauguration of the Hindu nationalist Narendra Modi government in 2014, movements to protect cows have intensified drastically. As a result, in addition to Haryana where this incident occurred, some northern and western states such as Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan have completely banned cow slaughter. In these regions, moving cows outside state borders requires official permission.

Violence Committed by 'Cow Vigilante Groups' Under the Pretext of 'Slaughter Surveillance'

Some conservative Hindus have formed 'cow vigilante groups' under the pretext of monitoring cow slaughter and have committed various acts of violence. In May last year, two indigenous tribal men in Seoni, Madhya Pradesh in central India, who secretly slaughtered and trafficked cows, were beaten to death by about 20 other men.

In December 2018, right-wing Hindus also incited riots related to cow slaughter in Uttar Pradesh. At that time, they protested that "the police failed to prevent cow slaughter," setting fire to police posts and several vehicles. The protesters even used firearms, and a police officer investigating the incident on-site was shot and killed by the crowd.

Meanwhile, on the 8th, India's government-affiliated Animal Welfare Board proposed celebrating February 14th as 'Cow Hug Day' instead of Valentine's Day. The board stated, "Hugging cows will enrich emotions and enhance happiness," adding, "Cows are the foundation of Indian culture and rural economy."

Hindus believe that anything derived from cows, which are considered motherly figures, possesses special efficacy. Therefore, in India, medicines and soaps made from cow dung are even sold. The National Cow Commission, a government-affiliated agency, released a mobile phone radiation protection chip made from cow dung in 2020.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.