A year after Ramgarh lynching, beef attacks continue in Jharkhand

Exactly a year ago on this day, cow vigilantes had killed Alimuddin Ansari (55) for allegedly carrying beef in Ramgarh near the state capital. Since then, much water has flowed down the Subarnarekha but the threat posed to peace and harmony because of such narrow sectarian feeling continues to exist in the state.
Going by the frequency of communal conflict in different districts, the situation may turn more serious as the state moves closer to next year’s Lok Sabha and assembly elections.



The only silver lining in the dark clouds looming over the state is the quick disposal of Alimuddin’s case. Altogether 11 assailants were convicted and sent to prison in nine months, which is regarded as the fastest trial of lynching cases in the country. “No other state has given justice to any lynching victim so quickly,” chief minister Raghubar Das had earlier told TOI.

Alimuddin’s family too acknowledges this. “The verdict in our case was given very fast, but we are not sure if it can act as a deterrent for such crimes in the future,” remarked his son Shahzad, a day before his father’s first death anniversary. With recent incidents of attacks by vigilantes in mind, the 22-year-old added, “People still get beaten up and killed in the name of cow protection.”

Shahzad continued, “We live in fear. The men who killed my father may be behind bars, but it won’t stop others from targeting us. We don’t venture out of Manua, our village, even to look for work.” He rued that politicians, who often visited Manua after the incident, are no longer to be seen.

At least six incidents of sectarian violence have taken place in the state over the past year. Many traced the origin of the communal divide over cow protection to 2005, when Jharkhand banned the slaughter of cattle and sale of beef. The situation turned more complicated last year after the Centre passed a notification “regulating” the sale of cattle across the country. This led to a proliferation of gau raksha samitis (cow protection groups), ever ready to take upon themselves to enforce the law, across the state.

According to the latest National Crime Records Bureau report, Jharkhand registered the highest number of killings motivated by communal reasons in 2016.

On Wednesday, parts of the state capital saw sectarian violence after chunks of animal meat, allegedly beef, were found outside a school on Purulia Road. Many people, including a police officer, were injured in stone-pelting, which reminded many of the streets of Srinagar.

Far from showing political sagacity in handling the issue, ruling and opposition parties seem more interested in scoring brownie points against each other. “It is no coincidence that cattle-related killings have been on the rise since BJP came to power. The government condones such crimes. From assembly to streets, our party has taken up the matter everywhere,” Congress legislator Alamgir Alam said. “The Raghubar Das government is a marketing government. It has done nothing for the poor. While the poor are dying of starvation, BJP is busy enforcing beef laws,” he added.

All Jharkhand Students’ Union-Party (Ajsu-P), BJP’s ally, dismissed Congress’s claims. “When there is a ban (on beef), it has to be enforced. If someone steals cattle, can that be ignored? When a thief is caught, the people may just lose control and beat him up. Aisa halka phulka maar toh de hi dete hain,” Ajsu-P legislator and state minister Chandra Prakash Choudhury, who represents Ramgarh in the assembly, said. Asked how a “light beating” leads to a person’s death, he replied, “If something happens when a mob is angry, how are we responsible?”

Former BJP MLA from Ramgarh Shankar Choudhary sounded more belligerent. “If the government is unable to implement the (beef) ban, it should lift it altogether. Let cows be slaughtered everywhere, what can we do?” he told TOI in a telephone conversation. When asked if he condones the killing of people over it, he quickly hung up.