Animal activists who have been protesting against cockfights have reason to cheer. The Bombay high court (HC) has granted an ad-interim stay on the cruel practice, saying that it is ex-facie (on the face of it) illegal and contrary to the provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. This means that a cockfight slated to be held today (Friday) in Ulhasnagar, Thane, cannot take place.
Justice Gautam Patel has directed the Maharashtra government to ensure that no cockfight takes place in Ulhasnagar as alleged in a Public Interest Litigation (PIL). The HC restrained the organisers – Mahesh Tare and Prakash Tare – from going ahead with the event, although the duo made a statement that they had not planned it.
The PIL was filed by N G Jayasimha, director of the Humane Society International, India, an animal welfare organisation based in Hyderabad. The petitioner had come across a pamphlet which mentioned that a cock fight would be organised on January 2 in Aashele village at Ganpat Nagar, Ulhasnagar.
Jayasimha has sought action against the alleged cockfight organisers saying that such events violate provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
According to the petition, a cockfights involves two roosters being placed in a small fighting ring and then incited to fight. The roosters may be specially bred, trained or given steroids to make them more aggressive. Usually, a razor blade or small iron hook is attached to the feet of these roosters to increase the damage inflicted on the other fighting bird, the PIL said.
The PIL said that it is possible that roosters fight with each other over territory, food or mates. However, such fights would only be to establish a hierarchy among birds and would not last as long, or cause such serious injury, as in organised fights. Therefore, such fights are completely artificial and it cannot be said that the animals are exhibiting their natural behaviour.
Since sections 11(1)(m) and (n), of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, specifically prohibit both the incitement of animals to fight for entertainment, the organisation of such events, and the using of a place for such fights, cockfights ought to be considered acts of cruelty and prohibited per se, the PIL said.
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