cow protection

Located on the border of Rajasthan and Haryana, Ramgarh is home to several groups of gausevaks or gaurakshaks, the often vigilante protectors of the cow. Interestingly, some of these groups are Muslim. What makes them take up the cause of cow 'seva', and do they get along with their Hindu brethren? [...]

The ban on Jallikattu isn’t an act of mercy on bulls. It hastens the road to the destruction of local breeds, which started with the government’s cross-breeding (with foreign breeds) programme in the 60s. I visit the cattle market in rural Madurai for a ground report. From Jallikattu to the Meat Factory [...]

In India's case we have William Dalrymple, a complete social misfit in his own native land, so he decided to transplant himself in the same manner which bubonic plague once ravaged Europe by hitching a free ride on fleas infesting rats. Dalrymple has suddenly become the spokesperson on what he calls Hindu 'extremism' when he [...]

NEW DELHI: His community — Rabaris, a livestock-dependent tribe traditionally-addresses him as “Bhopajj” or priest. He dresses up like a cow-herd himself: a long white cloth wrapped around his bare torso, red turban, dangling ear rings et al. With a lathi in tow, he walks into everywhere, even the chief minister’s office in Rajasthan. Otaram [...]