Maneka forces bull fight out of autumn festival list

[Guest guest]

Maneka forces bull fight out of autumn festival list

The Indian Express, Saturday, 05 November, 2006

Link: http://www.indianexpress.com/archive_frame.php

 

Maneka forces bull fight out of autumn festival list

Tilak Rai

 

SHILLONG, NOVEMBER 4: Bull fight has been struck off the list of

events at the autumn festival beginning in Shillong tomorrow,

apparently under pressure from animal rights activist Maneka Gandhi.

 

The former Union Minister had threatened to drag former Meghalaya

Home Minister R G Lyngdoh to court if the festival, being organised

by the Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum (MTDF), featured bull

fights, sources said. Lyngdoh is chairman of MTDF.

 

According to the sources, Gandhi had called up Lyngdoh and asked him

to cancel the bull fight that was supposed to be part of the

festival.

 

She was believed to have told him that if it were held, MTDF would

be dragged to court. Lyngdoh, however, denied having received any

such threat.

 

But the removal of bull fight from the event list suggests there was

some kind of pressure on the MTDF. Lyngdoh told The Indian Express

that the bull fight was taken off the list not because of any

threat, but due to some ``internal problems''.

 

He said bull fight has been a traditional game in Meghalaya and the

MTDF had the necessary permission from the Khasi Hills Autonomous

District Council (KHADC) to hold the event.

 

Even the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) had written

to Lyngdoh expressing distress over bull fights in the autumn

festival. PETA chief functionary Anuradha Sawhney said that such

fights were in contravention to Section 11 (1) (m) (ii) and Section

11 (1) (n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960.

She had asked MTDF to reconsider its decision to stage bull fights.

 

In 1996, bull fight, one of the main tourist attractions in Goa, was

banned in that state. But the Goa government had appealed to the

Supreme Court to exempt it from the PCA Act stating it was

a ``traditional sport''.

 

An MTDF member said that the forum was contemplating moving court,

as Goa had done, to exempt bull fight from the PCA Act.

 

In Meghalaya, they are held regularly in villages of East and West

Khasi Hills, Jaintia Hills and Ri-Bhoi districts.

 

They are held every week in some villages

 

-

azam24x7 <azamsiddiqui

Wednesday, November 9, 2005 10:53 am

VICTORY !! PETA objects bull fight in Meghalaya Autumn festival

 

> Link:http://www.northeasttribune.com/5208.htm

>

> PETA objects bull fight in Meghalaya Autumn festival

>

>

> NET News Network

>

> Guwahati, Nov 4: The zest and enthusiasm of the organizers of the

> first Autumn festival to be held in Mehaglaya received a jolt

> today

> when People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) urged for

> the exclusion of bull fight from the event which was one of the

> major attractions in the event.

>

> In a letter issued to Chairman of the organizing committee,

> Meghalaya Tourism Development Forum, R.G Lyngdoh, PETA opined that

> the trained bull that are pitted against each other very often

> sustains serious injuries and even death and insanity cannot be

> ruled out.

>

> The Autumn Festival is scheduled to take place from tomorrow in

> Shillong' s Orchid resort

>

> " These bull's fights are also in contravention of Section 11 (1)

> (m)

> (ii) and Section 11 (1) (n) of the Prevention Cruelty to Animals

> (PCA) Act, 1960. The PCA Act, 1960 also specifically prohibits

> incitement of any animal to fight and prohibits the organizing of

> animal fights, " added the letter.

>

> " We know bull fight is a tradition but tradition cannot be always

> correct " , the release further stated.

>

> Meanwhile, when contacted, R G Lyngdoh expressed ignorance of any

> such letter and added that Bull Fight item has already been

> excluded

> from Festival itinery due to some unavoidable circumstances. " It

> has got nothing to do with the PETA letter as I'm yet to receive

> the

> said letter, " he informed.

>

>

>