In a significant ruling, the Gauhati High Court has nullified an Assam government standard operating procedure (SOP) dated December 27, 2023, permitting buffalo and bulbul bird fights in January. The decision follows petitions by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, highlighting violations of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, and the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972. Justice Devashis Baruah presided over the case, with Diganta Das, Senior Advocate, presenting PETA India’s arguments which the court upheld.
The court’s judgment aligns with the Supreme Court’s ruling in Animal Welfare Board of India vs. A. Nagaraja (2014), reinforcing a prohibition on such animal fights. PETA India’s investigations exposed severe cruelty: buffaloes were forcibly engaged in battles through beatings, sustaining multiple wounds, while bulbuls, protected under the Wildlife Protection Act, were captured illegally, drugged, and forced to fight over food.
The probe into a buffalo fight in Ahatguri on January 16 and a bulbul fight in Hajo on January 15 revealed distressing practices—buffaloes were jabbed and struck, leaving them with bloody wounds, and bulbuls, deprived of food and drugged, were incited to attack for bananas. Such actions contravene not only national laws but also the principles of ahimsa (non-violence) and compassion, central to Indian culture.
PETA India applauded the court’s stand against animal cruelty. Arunima Kedia, PETA India’s Lead Legal Counsel, emphasized the importance of this verdict in safeguarding animal welfare, stating, “Buffaloes and bulbuls are gentle creatures who deserve protection from violent acts.” The court’s decision marks a critical step in reinforcing animal rights, sending a clear message against the normalization of animal cruelty under any cultural guise.
