By Shivani Kava
Yaseen, a 43-year-old lorry driver and six others sat on the ground, holding severed cattle heads in their hands and chanting ‘Jai Sri Ram’. Even as this ‘punishment’ was being meted out to them in Doddaballapura, a town near Bengaluru, their vehicles were vandalised, and a car set on fire by a bunch of Sri Rama Sene activists on September 24. And while all this happened close to a police station, the police say they were unaware of the incident till 45mins after it happened. Police and residents of the town are blaming Sri Rama Sene Chief Pramod Muthalik for inciting the violence against Muslims.
In his address on August 30 at Doddaballapura, Muthalik specifically targeted Muslims and Christians, issuing threats against consumption of beef. “If you don’t adhere to this country’s rules, we may have to ask you to leave for Pakistan,” he said.
He further warned, “Remember, even if a single cow is stolen or harmed in Doddaballapura, we, the members of Sri Rama Sene, will stage a protest to safeguard Gou mata. I am making this announcement today,” he declared and added, “I am cautioning you, Muslims, today.” Muthalik, notorious for his divisive rhetoric and actions, gained national and international attention in 2009 for a violent attack on a pub in Mangaluru. Sri Rama Sene members physically assaulted young men and women who were inside, claiming that the women were violating traditional values. Muthalik remains most influential in the northern region of Karnataka, but has been building the Sri Rama Sene in other districts too. A month after this speech, Yaseen and his friends became Sri Rama Sene’s first targets.
What transpired on September 24
Yaseen, a meat dealer, was transporting beef from Hindupur in Andhra Pradesh to Bengaluru’s Shivajinagar. Around 4:00 am, near Kantanakunte in Doddaballapura, Yaseen’s SUV was abruptly stopped by a group of people who came in cars and motorcycles. Upon discovering beef in the vehicle, Yaseen was asked if he was alone. He confirmed that four trucks were en route. The activists then intercepted all the vehicles, confiscated the drivers’ phones and their money. They were assaulted.
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