People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India has approached the Gauhati High Court to ban buffalo and bulbul fights in Assam.

The traditional fights were held during the Magh Bihu festivities early this month after a gap of nine years under a stringent SoP approved by the state government.

The state government had banned the fights following a Supreme Court ruling in 2014 prohibiting taming of bulls and bullock-cart races. A year later buffalo fight (moh juj) and bulbul bird (bulbuli) fight were also banned in Assam.

However, the apex court in 2023 upheld laws passed by three states for buffalo race and bullock cart race, prompting the Assam cabinet to take a decision on December 8 to allow the two fights but under a strict standard operating procedure (SOP), which were issued on December 27.

Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had attended the buffalo fight at Ahatguri in Morigaon district on January 16 and bulbul fight at Hayagriva Madhav temple in Kamrup district a day earlier, stating these were part of Assamese culture. Bull fighting were also staged in Sivasagar and Nagaon districts, drawing huge crowd.

The PETA statement on Wednesday said they moved the Gauhati High Court following the Assam government’s decision to allow buffalo and bulbul bird fights, “making the case for the cruel spectacles to be prohibited again”.

“Today, the petitions were listed before Justice Manish Choudhury in the Gauhati High Court and detailed submissions were made by senior advocate, Diganta Das in support of PETA India’s prayer for urgent interim relief prohibiting buffalo and bulbul fights during the pendency of Court proceedings,” the PETA statement said, adding the case is listed for February 1 for further consideration of its interim prayers.