India orders border troops to combat cattle smuggling trade
Increased efforts by security forces to end the illicit trade have helped drive up beef prices in neighbouring Bangladesh
Your support helps us to tell the story
From reproductive rights to climate change to Big Tech, The Independent is on the ground when the story is developing. Whether it's investigating the financials of Elon Musk's pro-Trump PAC or producing our latest documentary, 'The A Word', which shines a light on the American women fighting for reproductive rights, we know how important it is to parse out the facts from the messaging.
At such a critical moment in US history, we need reporters on the ground. Your donation allows us to keep sending journalists to speak to both sides of the story.
The Independent is trusted by Americans across the entire political spectrum. And unlike many other quality news outlets, we choose not to lock Americans out of our reporting and analysis with paywalls. We believe quality journalism should be available to everyone, paid for by those who can afford it.
Your support makes all the difference.India has tasked tens of thousands of troops along its border with Bangladesh with preventing cattle smuggling.
The Indian government, under Prime Minister Narendra Modi, has made tackling the trade in stolen cattle one of its priorities, ordering the 30,000 security force personnel deployed along the border with its neighbour to do more to prevent it.
Cows are sacred animals for India's majority Hindu population.
Jishnu Basu, a spokesman for the Hindu nationalist Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), of which Mr Modi is a member, stated provocatively that: "Killing or smuggling a cow is equivalent to raping a Hindu girl or destroying a Hindu temple."
That is not a sentiment shared across the border in Bangladesh where the majority of the population are Muslim.
Nearly two million head of cattle are smuggled from India into Bangladesh each year, according to Indian media reports.
So far Indian troops have seized 90,000 cattle and caught 400 smugglers, pushing up the price of beef in Bangladesh.
Join our commenting forum
Join thought-provoking conversations, follow other Independent readers and see their replies
Comments