GUWAHATI: Defying the
Supreme Court ban, traditional buffalo fight called
Moh Juj was organised in different parts of Assam on the first day of Magh on Monday.
The apex court in 2014, in a case of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) vs A Nagaraja and others, had passed an order banning all animal races and fights. It had directed the AWBI and the government to prevent infliction of unnecessary pain and suffering to animals.
At Ahatguri in Morigaon district of central Assam, a 20,000-strong crowd enjoyed fights between 30 pairs of bulls. Ahatguri organizes one of the largest traditional buffalo fights in the state on the first day of Magh. Like last year, the registered committees that used to organize the fights, this time also stayed away. The buffalo owners and keepers organized the fights without any permission from the district administration. Also, buffalo fights were organized by owners and keepers at Deobali where over 5,000 people watched 20 pairs of buffalos locking horns. Baidyabori, also in Morigaon, witnessed such encounters. "This is the day when we can't keep ourselves away from buffalo fights. It's a tradition here," said a buffalo owner.
Morigaon SP Swapnanil Deka said the administration was prompt in taking action in places where buffalo fights were held. "We stopped the fights wherever we found permission was not taken from the administration," Deka said.
On the other hand, for the fourth year, the 16th-century
Hayagriba Madhav Temple at Hajo, about 55 km from here, abstained from holding the traditional Bulbul fight. "The ban has saddened us but we have to abide by the SC order," said Ashwini Kumar Sarma, a member of the Hayagriba Madhav Temple management committee.
File Photo
