Bullock-cart owners in Pune protest race ban

The bullock-cart owners, from various parts of western Maharashtra, tied around 300 bulls outside the collectorate as a sign of protest against the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organisation.

Bullock-cart owners on Tuesday gathered at the collectorate and demanded restarting of the bullock-cart race in the state. The bullock-cart owners, from various parts of western Maharashtra, tied around 300 bulls outside the collectorate as a sign of protest against the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) organisation.

A bull tied up outside Pune district collector office to protest against the ban on bullock-cart race. (Ravindra Joshi/HT PHOTO)

Ramkrushna Takalkar, president of All India Bullock Cart Race Association said, "Even though the state government has already made a law for bullock -cart race, organisations like PETA are creating hurdles in resuming bullock-cart race. We have put forth our demands with the district collector. We have called for an indefinite strike until the government take a decision." The association has also sought a ban on PETA, an NGO which has been campaigning against bullock-cart races.

Raosaheb Lokhande, a bullock-cart owner from Satara, said, "When the government has given us permission to conduct bullock-cart race, who is PETA to stop us? Is this organisation greater than the government? All political parties are supporting us. We will continue the indefinite strike with our bulls."

Maharashtra government had passed a bill to restart bullock-cart races and the President of India, too, had approved it. However, a petition was filed by PETA against the bill in the high court, following which, the court banned bullock-cart races.

Protesters demanded that the government should ban PETA and initiate immediate inquiry against it.

Meanwhile, due to the protest with bulls, traffic movement on the Bund Garden road was disrupted. Bhosari MLA Mahesh Lande and all-party activists, farmers and bullock-cart owners participated in the protest.

The agitators said that they will continue the fight across the state till the ban on bullock-cart race was lifted.