Gauhati HC orders Assam Govt to ban buffalo fights after Jan 25

The court has directed the state government to file an action taken report by Feb 6

The Gauhati High Court has ordered the Assam government to ban unapproved buffalo fights (Moh-juj) usually held during Magh Bihu in the month of January as part of the Assamese culture and tradition.
The order was issued following the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India’s plea seeking a ban on the traditional buffalo and Bulbul bird fights which were resumed in Assam during this Magh Bihu after a gap of nine years.

The court has also directed the state government to file an action taken report by Tuesday.

Justice Manish Choudhury observed that any buffalo fight held in Assam after January 25, 2024, are prima facie illegal because it is a violation of the time limit set forth in the standard operating procedures (SOP) that the Assam government has issued for organizing these events.

The SOPs ensure the well-being of animals, preventing cruelty during the annual Moh-juj festival, a vital part of Assamese cultural heritage.

PETA India’s petitions cite several violations of central law in the conduct of these events. It has requested that the state’s decision to permit such gatherings be declared unlawful. However, while that is resolved, the court has mandated rigorous implementation of the government’s SOPs.

It may be mentioned here that the buffalo fights were prohibited after the Supreme Court’s 2014 ban on Tamil Nadu’s jallikattu.

However, certain areas, particularly in central Assam, continued organizing these events during Magh Bihu, primarily conducted by animal owners rather than centralized committees.

Despite a 2014 Supreme Court order banning such animal fights, the Assam government granted the revival of traditional buffalo and bullfights during Magh Bihu in January. However, the government has issued a detailed guidelines and SOPs for organizing these events.

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