Nothing's sacred: the illegal trade in India's holy cows
Even in the dog days of summer, the quiet
paddy fields that mark the border between India and Bangladesh look as supple
and green as the soft stems of herbs grown in a window box. But the daytime
tranquillity belies a stark reality. This delta region of the Ganges river is a
place of often deadly conflict that underpins an activity many in India would
rather not discuss. Every year, hundreds of thousands of cows – considered
sacred in India, with export of the beasts banned – are illegally smuggled into
Bangladesh where they are turned into shoes, belts, bone china crockery and, of
course, meat.
"There is smuggling here
every day," said Umesh, a member of a three-man Indian Border Security Force
(BSF) team on duty at a watchtower near the village of Kaharpara, just a few
hundred yards from the Bangladesh border. "The smugglers will take 50, 100
or 200 cattle at a time. We try to create an ambush and surround the
smugglers."
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