Resources for all concerned with culture of authoritarianism in society, banalisation of communalism, (also chauvinism, parochialism and identity politics) rise of the far right in India (and with occasional information on other countries of South Asia and beyond)
A French comic book uses India’s war on beef to illustrate the dangers of Hindutva
‘Sacred Cow’ is re-examining stereotypes in the wake of mob lynchings and cow vigilantism.
By William de Tamaris, illustrated by George H
India is the land of ahimsawhere the cow is
considered holy by all its peace-loving people. This enduring cliché
could finally be on its way out, if not from Western Europe, then at
least from France.
A 30-page French comic book by journalist and
author William de Tamaris tells the story of self-styled gau rakshaks,
and the alarming trend of vigilante violence spreading across India.
Tracing the history of beef bans across several Indian states, the comic
highlights the rise of Hindu nationalism and introduces French readers
to the concepts of Hindutva and the propaganda for a Hindu nation.
“We
were inspired to do the story after I met Vijaykant Chauhan, who calls
himself a gau rakshak,” said de Tamaris, who met Chauhan shortly after
the lynching of Mohammad Akhlaq in Dadri, in September 2015. It was then
that he decided to work on the subject along with illustrator George H.
The
authors admitted that they had harboured a number of stereotypes about
India for years, but that changed during the course of their research.
“Here I was, supposedly, in the land of tolerance but the hate in the
discourse of so-called gau rakshaks was shocking,” said de Tamaris. “In
France, people still believe India is the land of Gandhi but that no
longer holds true.” By William de Tamaris, illustrated by George H. The
story took the French authors to Maharashtara, Haryana, Rajasthan,
Uttar Pradesh and Kerala. They say that Chauhan was keen to talk to
journalists, and told them that if he were Nathuram Godse, he would kill Gandhi all over again.
The
French authors also spoke to Muslims of the Qureshi community, who have
traditionally been involved in butchery, in Maharashtra. They found
that the impact of the beef ban and ensuing vigilante violence by gau
rakshaks was immense – many have lost their livelihoods and live in
constant fear. Some are unable to send their children to school and are
resigned to their fate. By William de Tamaris, illustrated by George H. Soon
after the release of the comic book, French mainstream media began to
speak of genocide and Prime Minister Narendra Modi in the same breath,
while referring to the 2002 Gujarat riots. Analysts in a news discussion
on a leading radio channel concluded that this brand of politics and
the “extreme discourse” was bringing “instability” to India.
In
the month of June, Modi received a warm welcome (and a bear hug) in
Paris from France’s newly elected President, Emmanuel Macron. This was
Modi’s third visit to France since he was elected as prime minister in
2014. By William de Tamaris, illustrated by George H. Any
references to Modi or his political discourse still remain sparse in
the French media. The focus has been on the sales of the French Rafale
fighter jets and controversial Areva nuclear reactors, both worth
billions of euros. More recently, President Macron has tried to project
India (referred to regularly in the French press as “one of the biggest
polluters of the planet”), as a leading partner in climate diplomacy. By William de Tamaris, illustrated by George H.