GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government, particularly the Home and Political Department, to ensure that no buffalo fights take place in the state and to initiate appropriate penal action against the organisers of such events.
Buffalo fights are organised to mark the Assamese harvest festival Magh Bihu, also called Bhogali Bihu.
The court passed the order after hearing a writ petition filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals India (PETA India), citing flagrantly held "illegal" buffalo fights in various districts of the state in January.
The court observed that buffalo fights in Assam cannot be permitted under the statutory provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and any holding of these events would be in violation of binding judicial precedents.
“PETA India had filed disturbing new evidence of extreme cruelty to buffaloes from this year before the Gauhati High Court. The documentation, available in photo and video form, shows blood-soaked buffaloes with gaping open wounds being nearly constantly beaten with thick sticks during the events and yanked by nose ropes to be forced to fight, resulting in severe injuries,” PETA India said in a statement.
The organisation had prayed for accountability and urgent action against the unlawful events. It sought immediate intervention to prevent any such future events.
In December 2024, acting on petitions filed by PETA India, the high court had quashed the Assam government’s Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) that allowed buffalo and bulbul bird fights during January.
“The Gauhati High Court further held the SOP to be in violation of the judgment dated 7 May 2014 passed by the Supreme Court…which prohibits animal spectacles involving inherent cruelty,” PETA India said.
It lamented that despite these clear and binding judicial directions, illegal buffalo fights were organised in Assam earlier this year, allegedly under the very nose of authorities.
“We are grateful to the Gauhati High Court for setting the clear expectation that buffaloes must be protected from abuse. Beating terrified animals bloody for public spectacle has no place in a modern society,” said Vikram Chandravanshi, senior policy and legal advisor, PETA India.