Contempt petition filed against CM Parsekar for encouraging Dhirio
GOANEWS DESK, PANAJI | 24 October 2015 21:06 IST
People for Animals has filed a contempt petition in the high court, against Goa’s chief minister Laxmikant Parsekar and all other top government officials, for encouraging banned Dhirio (bull fights) in Goa.
Dhirio, one-time Goa’s most popular sports, is banned in Goa for nearly two decades, since 1996.
The petition primarily accuses CM Parsekar for encouraging Dhirio, in violation of the high court order, which was later also upheld by the Supreme Court.
Adv Norma Alvares, president of Goa unit of PFA, has filed the contempt petition, also against Director General of Police, North Goa SP, North Goa Collector and other officials.
The main instance cited in the contempt petition is the Dhirio organised on 20 September at Paliem-Harmal in Parsekar’s Mandrem constituency, on the occasion of Chovoth festival.
Almost 16 bulls had locked horns at this ‘secretly held public event’, attended by over 2000 enthusiasts.
The petition, filed last week, is expected to come up for hearing next week.
DETAILS
The petition has also quoted CM’s statements, stating that Dhirio is a traditional festival and he is finding some solution to allow it without harming the animals.
When confronted by media, Parsekar had said: “I am planning to find a solution like either cutting the sharp edge of their horns or putting a safety caps on it and allow Dhirio.”
The petitioner has alleged that the state government has encouraged the banned Dhirio.
Adv Alvares, who has engaged Goa’s former Advocate General Subodh Kantak, has also brought to the notice of the court that government authorities are not adhering to the court directives.
The petitioner claims that PFA had alerted the police in advance about the Dhirio planned in CM’s constituency but turned a blind eye instead of acting.
The petition has also cited two-three more instances of Dhirio being conducted in other parts of Goa while also producing photo evidence.
A similar petition was also filed by Trajano D’Mello, spokesperson of Nationalist Congress Party, but the court dismissed it in view of the original petitioner (Adv Alvares) filing the petition.
BACKGROUND
The Bombay high court at Goa, in December 1996, had banned Dhirio following instances of spectators also getting killed.
The ban was imposed under the provisions of the Cruelty to Animals (Prevention) Act, 1968.
As Dhirio was a popular sport and even politicians like Churchill Alemao were owning fighting bulls, Goa government as well as many MPs had tried their level best to get the ban revoked, even by raising the issue in the Parliament.
But no central government of any party had reacted in favour of the request.
The erstwhile Congress government, when Pratapsing Rane was the CM, had even managed to pass an amendment to the Act, by adding a new clause to section 11 (3).
The clause had stated that “Dhirio is a traditional, popular, unique sport, where bulls are trained properly by owners to fight each other and to develop their strength and stamina".
It was then forwarded to the union law ministry as the act falls into a concurrent list and requires assent from the Centre as well. But the response was negative.
Chief minister Parsekar, during the last monsoon Assembly session, announced a committee of legislators to study and find out in what way Dhirio could be continued without violating the legal provisions.
St Andre MLA Vishnu Wagh is heading the committee, with Congress MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco, GVP MLA Caitu Silva, Independent Benjamin Silva and BJP MLA Kiran Kandolkar as its members.
Adv Alvares, on the other hand, had given a different dimension to the issue when she was fighting to get it banned. She had said:
"The 19th century witnessed the slaves getting liberated from human exploitation. The 20th century began a process of liberating women from human exploitation. Let the 21st century be the beginning of liberating the animals from any kind of human exploitation".
You may ban dhirios as a sport organised by goan human beings. But what about daily dhirios of small and mighty bulls which is a daily feature in city roads of Ponda. In the main city area of Ponda I have counted atleast 57 members of bovine clan. And the tribe is going to outnumber Phondekar. Thanks to animal lovers, animal worshippers and blind municipality.