For Immediate Release:
04 May 2024
Contact:
Hiraj Laljani; HirajL@petaindia.org
Sachin Bangera; SachinB@petaindia.org
Guwahati – In a just-released order, the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court, in response to a recent plea filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India highlighting the numerous unauthorised buffalo fights taking place in the state of Assam, writes that “authorities are not taking the matter seriously” and that it takes “serious exception” to their inaction.
The state’s standard operating procedure (SOP) regarding buffalo (Moh-juj) and bulbul bird fights restricts holding buffalo fights beyond 25 January. With respect to PETA India’s plea for buffalo and bulbul fights to be declared unconstitutional in Assam and to address the occurrences of unauthorised buffalo fights, the court has granted the state an additional two weeks to file its response and has explicitly stated that failing to comply will result in decisive action.
The copy of the court’s order along with the photos and video footage of buffalo and bulbul fights are available upon request
PETA India notified the court and district authorities that illegal buffalo fights have taken place since February and as recently as 14 April. The court, in continuation of its previous interim orders, directed the state government to ensure that no unauthorised buffalo fights are organised in Assam. Yet, perplexingly, the state counsel told the court that it has no knowledge of unauthorised buffalo fights taking place. In the latest order, Hon’ble Mr Justice Kardak Ete writes, “This Court finds it hard to accept the submission of learned State Counsel, in as much as not only today, on the last two occasions, the petitioner could bring on record the instances of such Buffalo fights in the State.”
“PETA India applauds the Hon’ble Gauhati High Court’s strong stance against the rampant unauthorised buffalo fights taking place in Assam,” says PETA India Advocacy Associate Tushar Kol. “PETA India is calling on state authorities to protect these vulnerable animals from exploitation and hopes the court will ultimately recognise that these cruel fights clearly violate central law and must be prohibited.”
In its writ petitions with the Gauhati High Court, PETA India makes the case for the cruel spectacles of buffalo and bulbul fighting to be fully prohibited, citing numerous violations of central law in the conduct of these events. As evidence, PETA India submitted investigations into these fights, which reveal that terrified and severely injured buffaloes were beaten to force them to fight and that bulbuls were kept hungry to force them to fight for food.
An investigation into a buffalo fight held in Ahatguri in the Morigaon district of Assam on 16 January revealed that to instigate buffaloes to fight, owners slapped, pushed, and shoved them; jabbed and struck them with wooden sticks; and pulled them by their nose ropes to force them to approach one another. When fights were underway, some owners and handlers jabbed the buffaloes with sticks and whacked them with bare hands to cause them further distress. The buffaloes locked horns and fought, sustaining bloody wounds to their necks, ears, faces, and foreheads. Many had injuries all over their bodies. The fights lasted until one of the two buffaloes broke away and fled.
An investigation conducted into a bulbul bird fight held in Hajo in Assam on 15 January revealed that red-vented bulbuls – who are protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 – were illegally captured and incited, against their natural instincts, to fight over food. The birds are reportedly captured several days before a fight. Capturing protected wild birds is considered a form of hunting and is illegal.
The birds are reportedly commonly drugged with marijuana and fed other intoxicating herbs, bananas, black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon to agitate them, after which they’re starved for at least one night before a fight. During a fight, a piece of banana is dangled in front of the hungry birds, inciting them to attack each other. Each fight lasted approximately five to 10 minutes, and handlers forced exhausted birds to continue fighting by repeatedly blowing air on them.
PETA India’s petition to the court points out that buffalo and bulbul fights violate the Constitution of India; The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960; and judgements of the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India, including in Animal Welfare Board of India vs A Nagaraja. The group also notes that such fights are inherently cruel, cause immeasurable pain and suffering to the animals forced to participate, and contradict the tenets of ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion, which are integral to Indian culture and tradition. Allowing these events, which were banned by the state government in 2015, to resume this year is a regressive step which threatens to undo almost a decade of progress in human and animal rights.
PETA India – whose motto reads, in part, that “animals are not ours to use for entertainment or abuse in any other way” – opposes speciesism, a human-supremacist worldview. For more information, please visit PETAIndia.com or follow the group on X, Facebook, or Instagram.
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