Gauhati High Court Bans Buffalo and Bulbul Fights, Upholds Animal Welfare Laws

GUWAHATI: In a landmark verdict, the Gauhati High Court banned buffalo and bulbul bird fights in Assam by quashing the Standard Operating Procedure (SOP) issued by the Assam government that allowed these programmes at specific times of the year.

This was in response to the petitions filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, which argued that these fights violated key animal protection laws, including the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972.

The verdict was based on strong evidence presented by PETA India, detailing investigations into such cruel practices. PETA’s findings showed that buffaloes were subjected to physical abuse, such as being slapped, jabbed with sticks, and pulled by their nose ropes to force them into fights. The buffaloes had severe injuries, including bleeding wounds on their necks, ears, and faces.

The same was the case with bulbul birds, protected under Indian wildlife laws. The birds were caught, given drugs, and then made to fight for food. The birds were starved and intoxicated with harmful substances to provoke aggression during the fights, which would take a few minutes.

The court further pointed out that such activities run counter to the judgment pronounced by the Supreme Court in the Animal Welfare Board of India vs .A. Nagaraja case in 2014, which had banned animal fights. PETA India's legal team, led by Senior Advocate Diganta Das, produced evidence that most of these fights took place beyond the dates covered in the SOP, thus rendering the events illegal.

This victory has been welcomed by various groups across the country for their crusade against cruelty on animals. PETA India was grateful to the court for such a judgment where the rights of animals would not be overruled in case of cruel practices.

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