Unsanctioned Moh Juj Fights Held in Assam as State Awaits Presidential Nod

Officials say they waited for presidential assent to an exemption bill before authorizing any event.

Overview

Water Resources Minister Pijush Hazarika said no official Moh Juj was held during Magh Bihu and expressed hope it could be organised next year if assent is granted.
The Assam Assembly unanimously passed an amendment on November 27 to exclude Moh Juj from the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act on the lines of Tamil Nadu’s Jallikattu law.
Informal contests were conducted on January 15 at Ahotguri in Morigaon and Deobali in Raha by buffalo owners without official backing, drawing large crowds.
Local media also reported fights at Baidyabori in Morigaon, even as officials declined comment, citing the matter as sub judice.
The legal backdrop includes a 2014 Supreme Court ruling restricting animal fights and a December 2024 Gauhati High Court order quashing the state SOP that had allowed such events.