Uttarakhand to issue ID cards to gaurakshaks, call them ‘cow guardians’

Uttarakhand will soon become the first state to issue identity cards to gau rakshaks (protectors of cows) who will now be known as gau sanrakshaks (guardians of cows), a senior official on Saturday said.

“All gau rakshaks in the state will now be known as gau sanrakshaks (guardians of cows). Similarly, all gau rakshaks will now be issued identity cards. The initiative has been taken to distinguish genuine gau rakshaks from ruffians who resort to violence in the name of cow protection,” said NS Rawat, chairman, Gau Sewa Ayog (Cow Commission).

Rawat said the initiative has been taken in keeping with the sentiment Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s expressed two years ago. “He (Modi) had said that some elements take recourse to violence in the name of cow protection,” Rawat said, adding “genuine gau rakshaks” from six of the total 13 districts in the state have been identified. “They will be issued identity cards,” he added.

First Published: Aug 04, 2018 22:16 IST