Gauhati High Court Bans Moh-juj: Orders State-Wide Halt on Buffalo Fights

The Gauhati High Court has issued an interim order directing all district administrations in Assam to enforce a complete ban on Moh-juj or buffalo fights across the state. The order, a response to a petition filed by People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, aims to stop the buffalo fights considered a traditional Bihu-time custom. PETA India had filed a lawsuit seeking to halt buffalo and bulbul bird fights, held recently in Assam after nine years. The Gauhati High Court has also instructed the Assam government to submit an action-taken report on the matter by February 6.