Sat Feb 01 10:22:19 UTC 2025: ## Assam to Legalize Traditional Buffalo Fights
**GUWAHATI, ASSAM – February 1, 2025** – The Assam government will introduce a new law to legalize traditional buffalo fights, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma announced on Saturday. The move follows a Gauhati High Court decision in December 2024 that struck down a state government SOP allowing the fights, citing a Supreme Court ruling from 2014.
Mr. Sarma stated that the government aims to preserve the state’s heritage, citing the Supreme Court’s recognition of buffalo fighting as a traditional game. He assured that the new law would adhere to Supreme Court guidelines, ensuring the safety of the animals involved.
The controversial practice, most notably held in Ahatguri, Morigaon, was briefly revived in January 2024 under a state-issued Standard Operating Procedure that included safety measures like a ban on drugs and weapons. However, this SOP was subsequently overturned by the High Court.
The new legislation is expected to allow the resumption of buffalo fights alongside traditional bulbul bird fights, which also returned last year after a nine-year hiatus following the implementation of similar safety regulations.
First Piper 