While Prime Minister Narendra Modi wants states to take strict action against fake 'gau rakshaks', a Gujarati man who used to live in the US and has a citizenship there has moved back to the country to protect cows.
According to a Times Of India report, Sheetal Parikh, a non-resident Indian (NRI), who was leading a comfortable life in the US, has now shifted to Gujarat to work for 'gau raksha'.
Settled in Ohio, Parikh began visiting India regularly last year to help protect the cows that are abandoned by their owners.
She has always wanted to do this.
"My father, an Ayurvedic doctor, too told me about benefits of cow. When I grew up I decided to do something for the bovine that, though, revered in India is neglected in urban area," she toldToI.
Parikh first became a volunteer of Vallabh Youth Organization (VYO), where she worked to save aged cows sold off by farmers. She would help provide medicine and food to these cows.
However, after working for a while from the US, she realised she needs to be in India to work full time.
According to the report, Parikh's team has saved and are taking care of 60 cows.
Gaus and gau rakshaks have been occupying major space in the Indian newspaper for a while now.
In July, a group of Dalit youths in Una, skinning a dead cow, were beaten up by men who accused them of killing the bovine. The assault led to nationwide protests and a Dalit uprising in Gujarat against caste Hindu atrocities. Dalits have said they longer wished to skin and lift dead animals -- an occupation thrust upon them for centuries -- or clean sewers.
"There is a difference between gau bhakti & gau sewak," Modi said recently.
"I urge state governments to prepare a dossier on self proclaimed 'gau rakshaks'," he said.
Parikh agrees with the Prime Minister and said that she is not worried at all.
"He is right. Why those doing genuine work should be worried about his statement," she said.
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