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Supreme Court allows Maharashtra to resume traditional bullock-cart race
The Supreme Court said that the order will be in line with the state's amendments to Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, the same as Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
The Supreme Court on Thursday allowed the resumption of the traditional bullock-cart race in Maharashtra based on the amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act implemented by the state, in lines with Karnataka and Tamil Nadu.
A two-judge bench headed by Justices AM Khanwilkar and CT Ravikumar said the validity of Maharashtra’s amendments for the race will be decided by the constitution bench alongside those of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. The top court was hearing a plea by the Maharashtra government urging a permit to conduct a bullock-cart race.
“One country, one race, we need to have uniformity and there has to be one rule. If the races are going on in other states, why should it not be allowed by Maharashtra,” Justice Khanwilkar said, as quoted by Live Law.
“It is a traditional sport going on for several years, judgment came — it was stopped, the amendment came — allowed in a regulated manner. If it is a traditional sport and going all across the country except Maharashtra, it does not appeal to common sense,” he observed.
The apex court had, in 2014, banned traditional sports like ‘Jallikattu’, bull race and bullock-cart races across the country noting that they were dangerous and violated provisions of the PCA Act. Subsequently, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu had amended the law to continue the tradition in a regulated manner, which are under challenge and pending before the Supreme Court since 2018.
In February 2018, the top court had referred the pleas related to 'Jallikattu' to a five-judge Constitution Bench which would decide if the bull-taming sport fell under cultural rights or perpetuated cruelty to animals.
(With Agency inputs)
