The status of the "Holy Cow" in India presents a profound contradiction known as "The Cow Paradox," where the animal’s acclaimed sacrality, as perceived in contemporary Hindu ideology, often leads to its neglect and compromised welfare. While cows are religiously revered, they are simultaneously subjected to systemic suffering once their economic utility ends.
Violence in the Name of "Protection"
While cow vigilantes claim to serve the animal, their actions frequently target humans, particularly minorities and marginalized groups.
- Lynching and Intolerance: In Odisha, a Muslim youth was chased and beaten by alleged vigilantes while transporting cattle; he was reportedly forced to chant religious slogans before succumbing to his injuries.
- Targeting the Marginalized: Vigilante groups have also targeted Dalit men, who were reportedly beaten, tortured, and humiliated on suspicion of cattle smuggling while simply transporting cows for a wedding.
- Emboldened Violence: Critics and former political leaders note a disturbing trend of "self-styled" protectors who feel emboldened to engage in senseless violence, turning a responsibility for animal care into a criminal act of religious intolerance
- Senseless Violence: Vigilante groups have even targeted those unrelated to the cattle trade. In Assam's Kokrajhar, a mob attacked workers associated with a road construction project on suspicion of cattle theft, killing one person and injuring four others.
- Intimidation Tactics: In Karnataka, self-proclaimed "cow protectors" have been documented barging into homes and filming the intimidation of residents as a form of "twisted reality show
The Stray Cattle Crisis and the "Plastic" Diet
India currently faces a major stray cattle problem, with over five million bovines roaming the streets. These animals are chronically deprived of an appropriate environment and adequate nutrition.
- Ingestion of Waste: Because they lack dedicated food sources, street cows frequently forage in dustbins and landfills, where they ingest a wide array of inedible waste, including plastic, nails, needles, glass, and wires. In one instance, a stray cow was found to have 71kg of plastic and metal in its stomach.
- Environmental Hazards: Stray bovines face constant threats of traffic accidents, rail track fatalities, and acid attacks by farmers or residents when they intrude upon crops or human habitats.
Vigilantism vs. Actual Welfare
There is a sharp divide between the political-religious fervor for cow protection and the actual state of living for the animals.
- Cow Vigilantism: The slaughter ban regulations have recently been utilized as a cow vigilante political tool, where "protecting" the cow under religious pretext has led to the objectification of the animal.
- Political Demands: Religious leaders, such as Swami Avimukteshwaranand, have challenged political figures like UP CM Yogi Adityanath to prove their "Hinduism" by declaring the cow the "state mother" and banning beef exports. However, the seer noted that Uttar Pradesh remains a massive meat exporter, contributing over 40% of India's total, and claimed that cattle are slaughtered and sent under the guise of "buffalo meat".
- The Neglect of the Living: While right-wing groups lobby for sacredness to propagate religious ideologies, the daily welfare of the animals—freedom from hunger, thirst, and pain—is often disregarded.
The Reality of Cow Shelters (Gaushalas)
For many "unwanted" cattle, the alternative to the street is a cow shelter, yet these facilities are frequently unfit for living.
- Inadequate Care: More than two-thirds of shelters offer inadequate feed and water, with government-run shelters reporting inadequacy as high as 80%.
- Health and Confinement: Over 80% of shelter bovines lack regular access to veterinary services, leading to chronic suffering from untreated injuries and diseases. Furthermore, many shelters practice continuous tethering with short ropes, preventing animals from moving or resting comfortably.
The Economic and Cultural Conflict
It is further highlighted by the fact that India is one of the world's largest milk producers and simultaneously one of the highest beef exporters, a reality that is often publicly unacknowledged. The legal binding that prevents farmers from slaughtering unproductive cattle forces them to abandon the animals, as small-scale farms cannot afford the resources to provide adequate feed and care for a "non-utility" animal. Consequently, the very laws intended to protect the "Holy Cow" often facilitate its abandonment and ultimate misery on the streets.
Mohammad Aklaq's case will never be forgotten, among others. In December 2025, a fast-track court in Noida rejected the Uttar Pradesh government’s application to withdraw charges against 10 villagers accused of the 2015 mob lynching. While the prosecution argued for withdrawal to "restore harmony" and cited forensic reports suggesting the meat was beef, Akhlaq's family maintains the meat was mutton—a claim supported by an initial veterinary report. Akhlaq’s brother, Jaan Mohammad, summarized their resolve by stating, "I still have faith in the court. I believe justice will be done one day”.
Will it?
Who Will Bell the Cow? by Shruti Ganapatye narrates about crimes related to cow slaughter and the beef ban, and its socio-economic impact on various industries allied to cows, offering us more insight to draw our own conclusions.
