India: Stop the Attack on Minorities and Dalits in the name of Gau Raksha - Memorandum to Chief Minister of Rajasthan

Stop the Attack on Minorities and Dalits in the name of Gau Raksha

Justice to the Pehlu Khan and Others

New Delhi | May 03, 2017: The terror of Gau Goondas is rampant all over the country. The state have been unable to crackdown on the the Gau Rakshak who have been cowardly spearheading the attack on minorities and dalits in different ways. One month has passed after the death of Pehlu Khan where we only witnessed the arrogance of the state who have failed to meet the families of victims or crackdown on the culprits in the case. Rather the politicians and the state have justified the attack by shielding the act and Gau Rakshaks in many ways.

Today, activists of people’s movements, women’s organisations, trade unions, and others have protested in front of Bikaner House, demanding the justice to Pehlu Khan and other victims of the attack. A delegation of the people comprising Kavita Krishnan (AIPWA), Kavita Shrivastava (PUCL), Vimal Bhai (NAPM), Prem Singh (AIKM), Maimoona Mollah (AIDWA) and others met the resident commissioner after the protest and submitted the memorandum with demands for strict and quick action for justice to the victims.

Memorandum submitted:

To 03/05/2017

The Chief Minister

Rajasthan.

Via: Rajasthan Resident Commissioner, Delhi

Subject: Justice in the murder of dairy farmer Pehlu Khan and assault on dairy farmers Azmat Khan, Rafiq and others by Gau goondas at Behror, Alwar district, Rajasthan.

Dear Madam,

As you are aware on the 1st of April 2017 Pehlu Khan a dairy farmer from Jaisinghpur, Nuh along with his two sons and two fellow villagers were brutally attacked by Gau Goondas returning from the Ramgarh Halwara, Jaipur with several cows and calves along with the required papers when they were brutally attacked by Gau Goondas Pehlu Khan died on the 3rd of April. Azmat Khan got serious injuries in his spinal cord, Rafiq had two of his ribs broken and his nose fractured.

Shockingly the Behror Police has filed a false case of cow trafficking against Pehlu Khan and others, although the FIR filed by Pehlu Khan after he died was converted into a section 302 FIR. Although 6 of the Gau Goondas were arrested by the Alwar police, those named in the FIR have not been arrested as yet.

It is even more shocking that the Home Minister in your Government has tacitly condoned the killing and given encouragement for more such killings by condemning Pehlu Khan as a “Gau Taskar†(cow smuggler).

Meanwhile, all over the country, from Delhi to Bihar to J&K to Assam every week we hear of cases of human beings being lynched by mobs on the pretext of ‘cow protection.’

On 3 may, 2017 (today) the first month anniversary of Pehlu Khan’s death, citizens all over the country are observing a public action day. As part of this national call, we the undersigned are submitting this memorandum to you in Delhi via the Resident Commissioner, Demanding

1. Justice for Pehlu Khan, Azmat Khan, Rafiq Khan and others

2. Immediate arrest of all those named in the FIR

3. 1 crore compensation be given to Pehlu Khan and 25 lakh and 25 lakh to Azmat Khan and 10 lakhs to Rafiq Khan and others.

4. An end to all violence in the name of the cow and eliminate all mobs indulging in such violence from the Rajasthan and India.

We would also like to express our concern and protest at the fact that your Government cancelled the permission for the peaceful public action (dharna) at Alwar today. Why is your Government unable to prevent violent mobs from attacking injuring and even killing human beings in the name of cow protection but using police might to prevent peaceful protest actions against such violence?

Sincerely,

AIDWA, AIPWA, AIKS, AIKM, AISA, ANHAD, Delhi Solidarity Group, Democratic Human Rights Network, DYPI, NAPM, NCHRO, NFIW, PUCL (Delhi), Right to Food Campaign, Satark Nagrik Sangathan, MIM Youth, JNUSU

For more details, please contact: 9818905316 or send an email to napmindia[at]gmail.com