Gauhati HC admits petition seeking ban on Assam’s bird-fight and bull-fight

After almost a decade, the two traditional sports involving birds and animals resumed in Assam on January 15 and 16 during the Bihu celebration

The Gauhati high court has admitted a petition by the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) seeking a ban on Assam’s traditional buffalo fight and Bulbuli bird fight. The court has listed the hearing in the case for February 6.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had said that all the organisers were asked to take care of the animals and birds involved in the sports. (File)

After almost a decade, the two traditional sports involving birds and animals resumed in Assam and chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma attended the events on January 15 and 16 during the Bihu celebration.

Bulbuli bird fight was organised in the premises of Hayagriva Madhav Mandir in Hajo while the buffalo fight was organised at Ahotguri in Nagaon district.

The Assam Government during a cabinet meeting on December 8, last year decided to allow the two traditional sports and framed strict Standard Operating Procedure (SOP). Sarma said that all the organisers were asked to take care of the animals and birds involved in the sports.

However, PETA, in a petition filed through Senior Advocate Diganta Das, claimed that they investigated the sports and found that various improper ways were adopted to instigate buffaloes to fight, which were illegal.

“Owners slapped them, pushed and shoved them, jabbed and struck them with wooden sticks, and pulled them by their nose-ropes to force them to approach other buffaloes,” PETA wrote in its petition.

They said that when fights were going on, the handlers jabbed the buffaloes with wooden sticks and whacked them with bare hands.

“The buffaloes locked horns and fought, sustaining bloody wounds to their necks, ears, faces, and foreheads - many had injuries all over their body. The fights lasted until one of the two buffaloes broke away and fled,” PETA India said.

PETA India said that they also investigated Hayagriva Madhav Mandir in Hajo on January 15 and found that the birds protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act were illegally captured and incited, against their natural instincts, to fight over food.

“Capturing protected wild birds is considered a form of hunting and is illegal. The birds were captured several days before the fight, as per the investigation,” PETA India said.

PETA claimed that the birds were commonly drugged with marijuana and fed other intoxicating herbs, bananas, black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon to agitate them, then they starved for at least one night before the fight.

A special bench of Gauhati high court, headed by justice Manish Choudhury, admitted the petition submitted by PETA and asked the state government to submit its side on February 6. However, no response on this matter has come from the state government yet.