Cow vigilantism a ‘nasur’ for India, says Indian-origin Tanzanian lawmaker

Expressing deep concerns over cow vigilantism in India, Salim Turky, an Indian origin Tanzanian lawmaker, claimed that it has become a “Nasur” (canker sore) for the country. The two-time lawmaker of the Tanzanian ruling party Chama Cha Mapinduzi(CCM), who is in New Delhi to attend the “First PIO-parliamentary conference” said,”We are proud of what Modi government is doing in the world and in the country. But one thing is not good for India and I call it a ‘nasur’ and that is cow vigilantism.” “We do not live in India, but in the news, specially the (electronic) media, you find clips of people being killed, being provoked. This is like discrimination,” he added. His remarks come in the backdrop of cow vigilantes resorting to violence in some states in the recent past. Turky, whose great-grandfather migrated to Tanzania from Gujarat’s Kutch region, said that he didn’t want to raise the issue at the conference as it would have “made the atmosphere bad”. Meanwhile, when he raised the issue with the External Minister Sushma Swaraj, he claimed that she dismissed the reports calling it them an exaggeration. “I have raised the issue with External Affairs Minister Sushma Swaraj. She said these issues have been exaggerated,” Turky claimed. Referring to the killing of Albinos in Tanzania, Turky said that the government is ensuring strict punishment to those involved in the killings. In 2015, Tanzania banned witch doctors in an attempt to curb a rising wave of attacks and murders of albinos whose body parts are prized for witchcraft. (Source: Indian Express with PTI inputs)