Assam’s traditional buffalo fight-Moh-Juj

Published: 9th Feb, 2024

Context

The Gauhati High Court has temporarily halted any future buffalo fight, known as moh-juj in Assamese, in response to a plea by PETA.

What is Moh-Juj?

The traditional buffalo fight (Moh-Juj) is an integral Bihu celebration of Assam.
Buffalo or bulbul or nightingale fights have been traditionally organised as part of the Bhogali Bihu celebrations.
It is held during the Magh Bihu celebrations in mid-January every year.

Jallikattu

The Supreme Court outlawed Jallikattu and bullock cart races in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra respectively in 2014, and later stayed a central government order in 2016 to permit them.
- Jallikattu is a 2,000 years old competitive bull taming sport in which contestants attempt to tame a bull for a prize, wherein if they fail, the bull owner wins the prize.
Jallikattu belt: It is revered across the Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul districts of Tamil Nadu.
In May 2023, a five-judge constitution bench, however, upheld the validity of laws passed by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra and Karnataka to allow the bull-taming sport Jallikattu, bullock-cart races and buffalo racing sport Kambala in their respective region.
- Kambala is an annual buffalo race held in the southwestern Indian state of Karnataka.

PETA’s Petition

The petition by the animal rights organisation highlighted multiple infringements of central laws during these events, including instances of severe cruelty inflicted on buffaloes.
Investigation has revealed distressing practices such as physical abuse to incite fights, including slapping, pushing and jabbing the animals with sticks.
Buffaloes sustained bloody injuries during the confrontations, enduring further agony from being dragged by ropes threaded through their nostrils.
PETA India said buffalo fights violate not only central laws but also core Indian values of compassion and non-violence.
The organisation underscored the inherent cruelty of such spectacles and called for their prohibition to safeguard both animal welfare and human rights .advancements

Animal rights and safety:

None of the guarantees containedin Part III of the Constitution, which deals with fundamental rights, are explicitly conferred on animals.
Therefore, when efforts to legislate on animal welfare were first made, it came from a more elementary ethical preceptthat it was morally wrong to inflict unnecessary pain and suffering on animals.
It was with this vision in mind that Parliament enacted the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act), in 1960.

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA Act), 1960:

It discusses different forms of cruelty, exceptions, and killing of a suffering animal in case any cruelty has been committed against it, so as to relieve it from further suffering.
This Act provides punishment for causing unnecessary cruelty and suffering to animals. The Act defines animals and different forms of animals.

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