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Buffalo fights held defying SC ban

By ANN Service

RAHA, Jan 16 - Defying a Supreme Court ban, traditional buffalo fights were held on Thursday at Ahatguri in Morigaon district and Deobali, Raha in Nagaon district as part of the Magh Bihu celebrations.

Though the committees that officially organised such fights earlier stayed away this year, the owners and keepers of buffaloes could not resist the temptation of organising the events.

Although no advertising was done fearing the ire of the administration, according to sources, at least 25 pairs of buffaloes were pitted against each other at Ahatguri and 22 at Deobali.

Talking to this correspondent on the sidelines of the event at Ahatguri, a buffalo owner said, �We cannot do away with the tradition. Buffalo fights are an integral part of our lives as agriculturists. Through these fights, we let the bulls release their pent-up energy. If we do not let these bulls fight, we cannot use them for ploughing,� he said.

It might be mentioned here that the Supreme Court, while hearing the case of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) vs A Nagaraja and others in 2014, had passed an order banning all animal races and fights in the country and had asked both the AWBI and the Centre to prevent the infliction of pain on animals and birds.

The AWBI in 2015 had written to the Assam government seeking an end to animal and bird fights during Bihu celebrations. Since then, the state government, through the district administrations, has clamped down on such fights.

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