Guwahati, 16th January: People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has urgently appealed to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma to intervene and put an end to Moh-juj (buffalo fights) and Bulbuli bird fights traditionally held during the Bhogali Bihu festival. The organization has also requested the withdrawal of the cabinet decision dated December 8, permitting such fights, along with the SOP/guideline issued on December 27 for their conduct.
PETA India emphasized in its letter to Chief Minister Sarma that these animal fights violate the Constitution of India, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act of 1960, and Supreme Court judgments, including the landmark A. Nagaraja Judgment in 2014. The letter highlighted that these fights subject animals to immense pain, cruelty, and suffering, contradicting the principles of ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion integral to Indian culture and tradition.
The organization stressed that buffaloes and bulbul birds, like humans, have the capacity to feel fear, anxiety, and pain. Buffaloes, in particular, are naturally docile animals, and forcing them into fights involves physical and mental torture. PETA India pointed out that the Ministry of Environment, Forest and Climate Change’s 2012 Notification prohibits the use of bulls as performing animals, considering their vulnerability to heat stress and unsuitability for physical exertion.
PETA India labeled the Assam cabinet decision as a disregard for mandatory legal provisions, emphasizing that the PCA Act prohibits causing unnecessary pain and suffering to animals. The organization highlighted Section 11(1)(m)(ii) of the PCA Act, which explicitly prohibits inciting animals to fight or bait each other, classifying such actions as cruelty.
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