Assam Allows Festive Buffalo Fights

On November 27, 2025, the Assam Legislative Assembly passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Assam Amendment) Bill, 2025, to provide statutory backing for the conduct of the state’s traditional buffalo fights, known as Moh Juj. Historically, these events have been associated with demonstrations of the animals’ strength, stamina, and training by their owners.

However, investigations conducted by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) documented instances of alleged cruelty, including buffaloes being subjected to pain and injury, as well as bulbuls being captured and induced to fight over food, which PETA contended was contrary to their natural behaviour.

Pursuant to a petition filed by PETA India, the Gauhati High Court, in December 2024, quashed a standard operating procedure (SOP) issued by the Assam government that had permitted buffalo and bulbul bird fights. The Court held that the SOP was inconsistent with the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, the Wildlife (Protection) Act, 1972, and the Supreme Court’s judgment dated May 7, 2014, in Animal Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja (the Jallikattu case).

Prior to the issuance of the SOP, the Assam government had prohibited bulbul fights in January 2015 following the 2014 Jallikattu judgment. A temple committee subsequently challenged that prohibition through a writ petition, pursuant to which the Gauhati High Court held that the Supreme Court’s ruling—being based on injuries inflicted on bulls—could not be directly applied to ritualistic bird fights and accordingly kept the ban in abeyance.

The enactment of the present Amendment Bill follows the Supreme Court’s decision in May 2023, upholding the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Conduct of Jallikattu) Rules, 2017, which permitted the conduct of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.