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{{pp-extended|small=yes}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=December 2016}}
{{Use Indian English|date=December 2016}}
{{Short description|Indian militant Hindutva organisation}}
{{Infobox militant organization
| name = Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal
| caption = Official logo of the organisation.
| logo =
| other_name = BGRD
| founder = Pawan Pandit<ref name="LM">{{cite web |first=Ashwaq |last=Masoodi |title=Who is a Gau Rakshak? |date=26 Jul 2016 |url=https://www.livemint.com/Politics/Mi6HZpayTzwJT7G6zy8dTO/Who-is-a-Gau-Rakshak.html |website=[[LiveMint]]}}</ref>
| leader = Pawan Pandit<ref name="LM" />
| foundation = {{start date and age|df=yes|2012|08|24|p=y}}
| motives = Participation in the [[cow protection movement]]
| ideology = [[Hindutva]]
| position = [[Right-wing]]
| crimes = {{Bulleted list
| [[Cow vigilante violence in India|Cow vigilante violence]]
| [[Violence against Muslims in India|Anti-Muslim violence]]
| [[Persecution of Dalits#India|Anti-Dalit violence]]
}}
| partof = [[Sangh Parivar]]
}}
The '''Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal''' ({{Literal translation|Indian Cow Protection Organisation}}; {{Small|abbr.}}:{{Abbr|BGRD|Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal}}) is an Indian [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] [[Militia|militant]] [[Hindutva]] organisation. Involved in the [[cow protection movement]], the group is affiliated with the [[Right-wing politics|right-wing]] Hindutva [[paramilitary]] organisation [[Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh]] (RSS) and is a member of the [[Sangh Parivar]].<ref name="HC">{{Cite web |first=Ramachandra |last=Guha |author-link=Ramachandra Guha |date=31 July 2016 |title=RSS' India model comes to Gujarat |url=https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/rss-india-model-comes-to-gujarat/story-0ePXSzxH5Y10VBDJIoe7jJ.html |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160731192643/https://www.hindustantimes.com/columns/rss-india-model-comes-to-gujarat/story-0ePXSzxH5Y10VBDJIoe7jJ.html |archive-date=31 July 2016 |website=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref> It regularly engages in [[Sectarian violence|vigilante violence]] against minorities, primarily [[Violence against Muslims in India|Muslims]] and [[Persecution of Dalits#India|Dalits]]. It was founded in 2012 by Pawan Pandit.<ref>{{cite book |last1=Salam |first1=Ziya Us |title=Lynch Files: The Forgotten Saga of Victims of Hate Crime |publisher=SAGE Publications India |date=2019 |page=57 |isbn=9789353282202 |url= https://books.google.com/books?id=CeGCDwAAQBAJ&pg=PT57}}</ref>

== History ==
=== Background ===
{{Main|Cow protection movement}}
The cow has long been regarded as sacred in [[Hinduism]]. However, in modern India, the promotion of cow protection, through the cow protection movement, arises more from the exclusivist and antagonistic, Hindu fundamentalist, and [[Caste system in India|caste-based]] aspects of [[Hindutva]], a [[Hindu nationalism|Hindu nationalist]] ideology, than from the principle of ''[[ahimsa]]'' ({{Translation|Non-violence}}) or genuine religious devotion.{{Sfn|Gittinger|2017|pages=131–149}}

{{Blockquote|text=Such a point of honour in our national life is none else but Mother Cow, the living symbol of the Mother Earth — that deserves to be the sole object of devotion and worship. To stop forthwith any onslaught on this particular point of our national honour, and to foster the spirit of devotion to the motherland, [a] ban on cow slaughter should find topmost priority in our programme of national renaissance in [[Swaraj]].|title=|author=[[M. S. Golwalkar]]<ref name="HC" />}}

=== Establishment ===
The BGRD was established by Pawan Pandit in 2012.{{Sfn|Gittinger|2017|page=143}} Its members, known as "''Gau Rakshaks''",{{Sfn|Gittinger|2017|page=143}} are predominantly ''[[Brahmins]]''.<ref name="HC" /> In 2015, a member of the group was appointed to the cattle protection state committee in [[Punjab, India|Punjab]], strengthening the group's influence.<ref name="Reuters">{{Cite web |date=3 July 2015 |title=Indian Cattle Protection State Committee appointed in Punjab |url=https://www.bhaskar.com/news/PUN-OTH-MAT-latest-rahon-news-031033-2181769-NOR.html |website=[[Dainik Bhaskar]]}}</ref>

== Activities ==
Considered to be a [[Vigilantism|vigilante]] [[paramilitary]] organisation,<ref>{{Cite web |date=27 April 2017 |title=India: 'Cow Protection' Spurs Vigilante Violence |url=https://www.hrw.org/news/2017/04/27/india-cow-protection-spurs-vigilante-violence |access-date=16 June 2023 |website=[[Human Rights Watch]] |language=en}}</ref> the BGRD has a ''Gau Commando Force'', involving vigilantes patrolling state borders for people [[Cattle theft in India|smuggling cows]] and conducting raids on [[Slaughterhouse|slaughterhouses]].<ref>{{Cite web |date=March 10, 2018 |title=Bringing the cows home |url=https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/blink/know/bringing-the-cows-home/article21987730.ece1 |publisher=[[Business Line]]}}</ref> The organisation is regularly involved in [[Violence against Muslims in India|anti-Muslim]] and [[Persecution of Dalits#India|anti-Dalit violence]].<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |date=6 November 2017 |title=Emboldened by Modi's ascent, India's cow vigilantes deny Muslims their livelihood |url=https://www.reuters.com/investigates/special-report/india-politics-religion-cows/ |website=[[Reuters]]}}</ref><ref name=":1">{{cite web |date=28 July 2016 |title=Beatings for the Publicity 'In the Name of the Cow' |url=http://khabar.ndtv.com/video/show/badi-khabar/badi-khabar-beating-for-the-publicity-in-the-name-of-the-cow-425406 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160804181622/http://khabar.ndtv.com/video/show/badi-khabar/badi-khabar-beating-for-the-publicity-in-the-name-of-the-cow-425406 |url-status=dead |archive-date=4 August 2016 |publisher=[[NDTV]] }}</ref> Despite credible evidence, many of the accused have faced minimal legal consequences. Furthermore, the police often coordinates and works with the group.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Malhotra |first=Kshitij |date=19 July 2016 |title=Go for gau-raksha: Haryana police to work with cow vigilantes |url=https://www.newslaundry.com/2016/07/19/go-for-gau-raksha-haryana-police-to-work-with-cow-vigilantes |website=[[Newslaundry]]}}</ref> The group itself has been criticised by many for its engagement in vigilante policing.<ref name=":0" /><ref name=":1" /><ref>{{cite web |date=25 July 2016 |title="Vigilantes have no Role Here", Comments the Hindustan Times |url=http://www.hindustantimes.com/comment-newspaper/vigilantes-have-no-role-here/story-9FslYqerrO1jqOPxFeZqNP.html |publisher=[[Hindustan Times]]}}</ref><ref>{{cite web |date=11 April 2017 |title='A cow's life is more precious than a human being's' |url=https://www.rediff.com/news/interview/a-cows-life-is-more-precious-than-a-human-beings/20170411.htm |publisher=[[Rediff]]}}</ref>

== See also ==
{{Portal|Politics|Conservatism|India
}}
* [[Cow vigilante violence in India]]
* [[Hindu terrorism]]

== References ==
=== Citations ===
{{Reflist}}

=== Bibliography ===
{{Refbegin}}
* {{Cite journal |last=Gittinger |first=Juli L. |date=2017 |title=The Rhetoric of Violence, Religion, and Purity in India's Cow Protection Movement |journal=[[Journal of Religion and Violence]] |volume=5 |issue=2 |JSTOR=26671533}}
{{Refend}}

== External links ==
* {{Official website|http://bgrd.org/}} {{in lang|en}}

{{Hindu Nationalism}}
{{Sangh Parivar}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal}}
[[Category:Organizations established in 2012]]
[[Category:Incitement to genocide by the Hindutva movement]]
[[Category:Volunteer organisations in India]]
[[Category:Political organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Sangh Parivar]]
[[Category:2012 establishments in India]]
[[Category:Cattle welfare organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Hinduism-related controversies]]
[[Category:Right-wing populism in India]]
[[Category:Militant Hindu groups]]
[[Category:Paramilitary organisations based in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Uttar Pradesh]]
[[Category:Hindu terrorism]]
[[Category:Persecution of Muslims]]
[[Category:Anti-Muslim violence in India]]
[[Category:Caste-related violence in India]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Delhi]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Haryana]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Rajasthan]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Chhattisgarh]]
[[Category:Organisations based in Madhya Pradesh]]
[[Category:Far-right politics in India]]

Bhartiya Gau Raksha Dal - Revision history

CleanupBot at 05:38, 22 March 2026