Red chilies and turmeric were put in the eyes of racing bulls on Friday at a competition in Khanewal.
The competition was organised by local landlords in the Noor Shah Bukhari area in the Kabeerwala subdistrict. Under the competition rules, each pair of bulls was tied to a pole and made to run around it for two minutes.
One of the participants speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Express Tribune that the bulls are tied before putting the red chilies and turmeric mixture in their eyes or else they start running as soon as it enters their eyes. He said the administration of these substances causes the bulls great pain. He said sometimes fertilisers are used.
Another participant, also speaking on the condition of anonymity told The Tribune most of the bulls lose their sight. We have no use for them after the competition. He said, “Most of the bulls are slaughtered after the competition and their meat is sold. Some die on their own.”
“The joy of victory matters more than the beast,” he said.
One of the organisers of the competition said, “This is a tradition… we cannot leave it.” He said millions of rupees were bet on the competitions.
As many as 16 pairs of bulls participated in the competition this week. The fastest completed 58 rounds in two minutes. The second and third prize wents to pairs that completed 56 and 55 rounds respectively. All three winners belonged to sub district Kabeerwaala.
The bulls had been brought from various areas in central and south Punjab.
Speaking to The Tribune, Khanewal Deputy District Officer (Wildlife) Muhammad Hussain claimed that there is no law on the matter and that the department could not intervene. “Our laws only allow us to stop organised fights between dogs, bears and eagles,” he said. He said the district administration had the authority to take action against people who organised such competitions.
Kabeerwala Saddar SHO Najaf Sial there had been such an event in the area. Serai Sidhu SHO Rizwan Yousuf too denied that it had taken place in his area.
Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1890
Section 3: If any person (a) …subjects [an animal] to unnecessary pain or suffering… he shall be punished, in case of a first offence, with a fine of upto Rs50 and imprisonment of upto one month
Published in The Express Tribune, September 30th, 2012.
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