Given the simultaneous rise in cow protection laws and crimes against women, people have often wondered if cows are safer than women in India.
The observation has has been expressed in many forms, including this viral cartoon from Causette, a French magazine.
23-year-old artist Sujatro Ghosh decided to start a project where he got women to wear a cow mask in public places to prove the bovine community has it easier.
"The incidents in Dadri and the other cow slaughtering incidents made me ponder about what could I do to stand up for it," Ghosh told BuzzFeed.
One of the participants in his project, Reetwija Chakraborty didn't really feel much safer in the mask. But she did enjoy engaging with the crowds.
"While sporting a cow mask in the middle of a crowded street or in front of some of the busiest tourist places meant that you attracted more attention than usual, being inside the cow mask was powerful," she told BuzzFeed.
Ghosh told BuzzFeed that he consciously chose to use his art and social media to make his message clear since he didn't consider physically fighting an option.
While there was initial resistance from people when they were approached, soon women from outside India reached out to him for help.
The message he wanted to make was loud and clear to him. "If we can protect cows then why not women?" he asked.
