Did protectors turn felons?
There is no scale to measure sins. But there could be sins that are legally classified as those who can be given harsh punishment and others that’ll be let off with a warning or smaller punishment. Stealing cattle may be an act of stealing, but it is the most gruesome of all. Because those who rear cattle, have the deepest emotional bond with the animal. It is more than an animal to them. That they are also dependent on that for economic means is a very small aspect of cattle rearing. The loss caused by a lost cattle cannot be measured by money alone.
Sangh Parivar has been crying hoarse about cattle stealing in Coastal Karnataka since long. In the recent times they have also come together to form Gorakshak teams. But are cattle being stolen in such numbers that people need to create an alternate to check this menace? How many complaints have been made in police stations against cattle stealing? When one checks in police stations about the rumours of cattle stealing that get floated in WhatsApp and social media, the answer is negative. Most of the rumours are just that. But that does not mean there are no instances of cattle stealing. There are teams that hoodwink the authorities and illegally transport cattle to abattoirs. And the legal system has been treating this issue like any other crime that comes under stealing. Hardly any of the cattle rearing families have gone to Gorakshaks demanding their intervention, stating they have lost faith in the law implementation authorities. The Gorakshaks are an order unto their own, indulging in hafta collection, fanning and spreading communal clashes under the pretext of protecting the cattle. Even Prime Minister Narendra Modi voiced his discontentment against fake Gorakshaks. They pose as protectors during the day and turn into criminals during the night. The secular government in Karnataka has failed to control their unabated rise and activities. The nexus between police and Sangh Parivar has provided conducive atmosphere for the growth of these rowdy elements. The murder of a cattle trader in Hiriyadka confirms this truth yet again.
These incidents used to happen in Gujarat and Rajasthan. Now they are breeding in Dakshina Kannada too. A cattle trader went missing from Jokatte close to Mangalore. Following the complaint that was lodged, his dead body was found at a Haadi near Perdur. The police attributed the death due to heart attack, but they recorded it as a death under mysterious circumstances. After family members complained against this hasty conclusion, the investigation was reopened. Shocking facts emerged during this phase. The death did not occur at the spot where the body was discovered, but the man had died in police station and the cops had transported his body and placed it at Kotyaru near Perdur. A Sub Inspector and other subordinates were directly involved in the crime.
Having received a tip off of illegal cattle transportation, some of the Sangh Parivar members had waylaid a Scorpio vehicle on May 30. Having spotted the saffron goondas, two other occupants in the jeep escaped leaving behind the 62-year-old Hussainabba. The old man was beaten up in the presence of police. The brutally attacked man was then taken to cop station, by which time he was dead. The Sangh Parivar members transported the body elsewhere and concocted a story of Husenabba disappearing from the police custody and having been so scared that he suffered a heart attack.
There are many instances where Gorakshaks have assaulted people and sometimes even killed them. The recent death of Praveen Poojary is a testimony to this fact. They assaulted him so brutally that he died. There are strong allegations of a nexus between them and the cops, strong enough make the police force look weak before them. This is the first time cops have been caught joining hands on a case of death with the Gorakshaks. It is a close knit setup between both segments. Who can people go to, for justice if the protectors turn assaulters? But one need not lose all hope. There are some other diligent cops who believe in justice, and are not taken over by the saffron ideology yet. They are the ones who conducted the investigation and gave a report that led to the arrest of the guilty cops. They have to be rewarded for their sense of duty.
The Hiriyadka incident tells us that saffronisation of cops and their inclination towards a particular ideology needs to be kept under check. The BJP is waiting to clinch any opportunity to destabilize the coalition government, starting from Coastal Karnataka. The new government needs to pay attention to this more than the holy rituals that have kept them busy for now.
Let the Truth be known. If you read VB and like VB, please be a VB Supporter and Help us deliver the Truth to one and all.
Joe Root returns to England's ODI squad for India tour, Champions Trophy; Rehan Ahmed in T20Is
London, Dec 22: Veteran batter Joe Root’s return to 50-over format after more than a year headlined England’s squad announcement for the ODI tour to India and the ICC Champions Trophy.
Root’s previous assignment in the format was the 50-over World Cup held in India in 2023.
All-rounder and Test skipper Ben Stokes was not considered for selection as he has been recovering from a left hamstring injury sustained during the third Test against New Zealand earlier this month.
Seasoned batter Jos Buttler will lead the side, and the Lancashire man will also captain England in the T20I series against India, which precedes the ODIs.
England will play five T20Is and three ODIs during the white ball tour to India.
Leg-spinner Rehan Ahmed, who made his Test debut against India earlier this year, was included in the T20I squad.
In-form Harry Brook will get another chance to play international bilateral cricket in India after pulling out of the Test series earlier this year due to personal reasons.
England ODI squad: Jos Buttler (Captain), Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Joe Root, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
England T20I squad: Jos Buttler (Captain), Rehan Ahmed, Jofra Archer, Gus Atkinson, Jacob Bethell, Harry Brook, Brydon Carse, Ben Duckett, Jamie Overton, Jamie Smith, Liam Livingstone, Adil Rashid, Saqib Mahmood, Phil Salt, Mark Wood.
India vs England Schedule:
T20I: 1st T20I: January 22, Eden Gardens, Kolkata.
2nd T20I: January 25, MA Chidambaram Stadium, Chennai.
3rd T20I: January 28, Niranjan Shah Stadium, Rajkot.
4th T20I: January 31, MCA Stadium, Pune.
5th T20I: February 2, Wankhede Stadium, Mumbai
ODIs:
1st ODI: February 6, VCA Stadium, Nagpur.
2nd ODI: February 9, Barabati Stadium, Cuttack.
3rd ODI: February 12, Narendra Modi Stadium, Ahmedabad.
