The Gauhati High Court has quashed Assam government’s SOP, which allowed buffalo and bulbul bird fights. These fights take place specifically during the month of January in Assam. The decision came after petitions from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. The court ruled that these fights violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which were accepted by the court. The petitions were listed before Justice Devashis Baruah in the Gauhati High Court and detailed submissions were made by Diganta […]
Gauhati High Court Bans Buffalo And Bulbul Fights In Response To India PETA Petitions
The Gauhati High Court has quashed Assam government’s SOP, which allowed buffalo and bulbul bird fights. These fights take place specifically during the month of January in Assam. The decision came after petitions from People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India. The court ruled that these fights violate the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, which were accepted by the court. The petitions were listed before Justice Devashis Baruah in the Gauhati High Court and detailed submissions were made by Diganta Das, Senior Advocate. Additionally, the court found the SOP to be in violation of the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment in Animal Welfare Board of India vs. A. Nagaraja.
PETA India presented evidence showing the cruelty involved in these fights. Investigations revealed that buffaloes were beaten, starved, and forced into fights. The buffaloes often suffered severe injuries, including bloody wounds on their bodies. Similarly, bulbuls, protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, were captured illegally, drugged, and starved before being forced to fight over food. Also PETA India has submitted several examples of fights that were held illegally, outside the dates allowed via the SOP. They argued that allowing the fights at any time of the year was resulting in enormous animal abuse.
PETA India’s legal counsel, Arunima Kedia, gave a statement saying that buffaloes and bulbuls are gentle creatures who feel pain and fear. Kedia also expressed gratitude for court’s decision to prohibit such cruelty, which contradicts central laws and Supreme Court orders. “PETA India is grateful to the Gauhati High Court for prohibiting cruelty to animals in the form of fights which are clear violations of central law and Supreme Court orders.”
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During one investigation, a buffalo fight in Morigaon district involved owners striking and prodding buffaloes to force them into combat. During investigation it was also relieved that to instigate buffaloes to fight, owners slapped, pushed, and shoved them. Not just that, buffaloes were jabbed and struck with wooden sticks; and pulled by their nose-ropes. The owners do this to force buffaloes to approach one another. The buffaloes with locked horns fight, while sustaining bloody wounds to their necks, ears, faces, and foreheads. This in turn also leads to injuries all over their bodies. The buffaloes at end suffer extensive injuries, and these fights only end when one animal fled at the end.
In another investigation in Hajo, revealed that red-vented bulbuls which are protected under Schedule II of the Wild Life (Protection) Act, 1972 were illegally captured and incited, against their natural instincts. The fights are conducted, over food. The birds are trapped several days before the scheduled day of fight.
These birds are reportedly drugged with marijuana and are also fed other intoxicating herbs, bananas, black pepper, cloves, and cinnamon to agitate them. The birds are left on starvation for at least one night before the fight. During the fight, a piece of banana is dangled in front of the hungry birds. This makes them excited and 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 argued that these fights are inhumane and illegal, causing immense suffering to the animals involved. The petition highlighted that such practices are inconsistent with India’s cultural values of non-violence and compassion. The court’s ruling is a step toward ending these cruel traditions in Assam.
