When they said, holy cow!

Seven 20yearolds from Mumbai travelled to Rajkot in Gujarat in December 2018 It wasnt your usual wintry road trip What did Rajkot have to offer A gau raksha dal It is a vigilante group with Hindutva affiliations that aims to save cows from being smuggled across state lines or intrastateWhy It is this question that the documentary Gau Premi For the Love of Cow attempts to answerMaitreya SanghviA class assignment demanding a short documentary be made on a contemporary issue prompted Maitreya Sanghvi and six classmates to make their way to RajkotInterestingly they had reached out to several gau raksha dals on Facebook and the one from Rajkot was the first to respond enthusiastically They were keen on being featured in the film They asked us to visit them and promised to show us around said Sanghvi the director He and the others decided to keep their opinions about the illegitimacy of gau raksha to themselves to encourage honest answers from the gau rakshaksSuchi DemblaHappy to have found a credible lead for their film and nervous about the possible dangers of the assignment they drove to Rajkot from Mumbai I was pleasantly surprised because they were very hospitable and more than forthcoming says Suchi Dembla the assistant director They were having golas ice lollies with the gau rakshaks when the Mass Media students were caught off guard One of the gau rakshaks offered to let them accompany him and others on a raid A raid is usually based on a tip off about cows being smuggled and is carried out to catch the smugglers redhandedThey made their way to a dhaba on the outskirts of the city and waited till 3 am but there was no movement We werent ready to give up just yet On the third night one of them informed us that the truck in question had been halted and that we could head to the spot to see for ourselves said Dembla What happened next forms the crux of the filmGau rakshaks outside the police station the night the lsquoraidrsquo was successful One is seen explaining that he believes cows being smuggled for slaughter is a problem that is never going to stopVigilantism is a result of frustration with the system So the government needs to take a long hard look at this issue Sanghvi says adding that it was a disturbing experience Its unsettling that they receive cooperation and support from the police As we have seen before things can go completely out of hand when untrained vigilantes who arent trying to deescalate the situation necessarily are involved Sanghvi is referring to the numerous lynchings that have taken place in the name of protecting the cow which Hindus hold sacred Gau Premi makes for a compelling watch because it questions the motivations of the gau rakshaks who indulge in unpaid vigilantism The violence is palpable in the frames without the filmmakers resorting to showing bloodshedGau rakshaks waiting outside the police station while the truck in question is parked The alleged accused were in the lockup by thenAre the gau rakshaks fuelled by a reverence for the cow or hate for marginalised communities like the Muslims who sustain themselves through herding leather and meat trade is the issue the filmmakers tackleWatchm on vimeocom 422826599Catch up on all the latest Mumbai news crime news current affairs and a complete guide from food to things to do and events across Mumbai Also download the new midday Android and iOS apps to get latest updates MidDay is now on Telegram Click here to join our channel middayinfomedialtd and stay updated with the latest news