A mahapanchayat was organized in Manesar earlier this week in support of Monu Manesar, accused of abducting and killing two people on suspicion of cow smuggling. , Photo Credit: Special Arrangement
Monu is not only from Manesar, he is the son of Hindus all over the world. They have made us proud by protecting cows,” roared Manoj ‘sarpanch’, a resident of Gokuldas village, during a mahapanchayat held at the Baba Bhisam Das Ji temple in Haryana’s Manesar earlier this week.
He had warned, “The government should withdraw the FIR against him within 24 hours, otherwise we will block the Delhi-Jaipur highway.” They blocked the highway before being removed by police, though not for more than 10 minutes.
The mahapanchayat held last Tuesday, which was attended by around 200-300 people, was called by the local Hindu community in and around Manesar in support of Monu Manesar. Now Monu is a suspect in the kidnapping and murder of two young Muslim men on suspicion of cow smuggling in Bharatpur, Rajasthan.
At the end of the meeting the organizers appealed for donations to continue the fight. Villagers came forward from the stage announcing their names and contribution amount.
the man from manesar
Monu, 32, was once a regular youth living in small towns in India, trying to make a living like most non-privileged families in the country. Monu Manesar, a friend at the mahapanchayat, recalls his transformation from Monu Manesar, an Industrial Training Institute diploma holder who ran a grocery store on the highway a decade ago, to a local poster boy. cow protection (cow protection).
As his followers grew, so did his aspirations: Monu has a YouTube base of 2.1 lakh subscribers and his Facebook page has over 85,000 followers. It is customary for politicians in Haryana to identify themselves with the names of their villages and Monu did exactly that.
The friend said that when Monu used to run his shop, he used to help cows injured in highway accidents. Soon, he became part of the Gau Rakshak Mandali, a vigilante group set up by the current BJP regime even before the law against cow smuggling was brought in in 2015. Their determination was further hardened when 24-year-old Vikrant Yadav, a resident of Khawaspur village, was arrested. Killed by alleged cow smugglers during a chase in 2013.
“Initially, Monu used to chase these cow smugglers on a bike, but now they have four wheelers. Rakesh, a local acquaintance of Monu, said he and his team grew in size and strength with social support, further bolstered by the setting up of a cow task force by the current regime.
“With the growing influence of Hindu organizations such as the Bajrang Dal and the Vishwa Hindu Parishad, the network of these cow protectors has widened in the region.” He said that Gau Rakshaks conduct raids with police teams.
Monu’s growing influence
Monu’s family had closed the grocery shop after his father, Om Prakash, a dumper truck driver, died five years ago. The family of six survived on the income from a few single rooms rented out to workers employed in factories around the village.
In 2019, after Monu was shot in the neck while chasing alleged cow smugglers, he was granted a license for arms for self-defense. It is not that his family was pressurizing him.
Monu’s maternal uncle Om Prakash Pradhan said the family had tried to persuade him to drop the case after the 2019 attack, but he did not relent. “Who gave him the arms licence? The government itself has made him so ‘big’. Now he has contacts with senior police officers. Why would he listen to us?” He added.
A month before the Bharatpur incident, Monu was accused of lynching Waris, a resident of Nuh, on the suspicion of cow smuggling. Although the police say that it was a road accident. However, earlier this month, authorities initiated the process of canceling his gun license after he was booked for attempt to murder during a clash between two neighbors in Pataudi.
Some of his pictures on social media after the Bharatpur massacre, in which senior police officers are recognizing his efforts cow protectionk has gone viral. On social media, there are several videos of his team claiming to have beef and conducting ‘raids’ to nab alleged cow smugglers.
Mr. Pradhan sees a bigger game here. “Sometimes I feel that people are taking advantage of this business of cow protection to make huge wealth. I have information under RTI and evidence to prove it. I will make revelations when the right time comes.