AIKS Protests against the Brutal Killing of a Dairy Farmer in Alwar, Rajasthan by Vigilante Gou Rakshaks

The All India Kisan Sabha strongly protests against the brutal killing of a dairy farmer at Alwar in Rajasthan by Hindutva extremists working as self proclaimed ‘gou rakshaks’. Pehlu Khan a small dairy farmer from Nuh Tehsil of Mewat district of Haryana was on his way home after purchasing a milch cow from a festival at Jaipur along with his children and other village farmers when they were stopped by Hindutva extremist forces at Alwar, and badly beaten up and he died in the Hospital. The Muslim community of Mewat region of Haryana to which Pehlu Khan and others belong are traditionally peasants, agriculturalists and cattle breeders. The BJP led Vasundhara Raje Government of Rajasthan has instead of taking action against the killers filed an FIR against the dead farmer and his children making false accusations. The FIR states total falsehood that there was no evidence for the purchase of the cow despite the family possessing record of receipt for the purchase with the stamp of the Jaipur Muncipal Corporation. AIKS condemns the BJP-ruled State Government of Rajasthan for publicly defending the criminals and targeting the victims and seeking to create an impression that the killers were trying to enforce law.

The Hindutva extremists are taking law in to their hands and unleashing violence with the open support of the BJP and the RSS. The killing of a dairy farmer in the name of ‘protecting cow’ is a matter of utter shame to the entire country and against the Constitution of India that upholds the principle of secularism.

AIKS condemns the leadership of the BJP and the Sangh Pariwar organisations for dragging the country towards anarchy and lawlessness by promoting and openly defending Hindutva extremist and communal groups with the ulterior motive of dividing the people for political gains. Sangh Pariwar organisations are consistently unleashing violence by raking up sensitive issues like ban on cow slaughter and beef eating especially after Narendra Modi Government assumed power. The murder of Muhammad Akhlaque in Dadri in Uttar Pradesh and lynching of two persons including a child to death and hanging them on way side tree near Hazaribagh in Jharkhand, killing of a truck driver in Jammu as well as attacks on Dalits in Una and elsewhere are few incidents in the past to recall. These incidents which are continuing unabated and the mushrooming of illegal armed vigilante groups remind of barbarism under Taliban or Islamic State and all democratic forces have to unite and stand opposed to such reactionary forces.

AIKS demands that the Prime Minister publicly condemn the murder and take strong deterrent action against the culprits. This is an open attack on people dependant on cattle rearing and dairying for their livelihood. AIKS calls upon its units to remain vigilant, build opinion against and resist such divisive forces as well as attacks on peasant livelihoods.

Sd/-
Amra Ram, President
Hannan Mollah, General Secretary
New Delhi, 6th April, 2017