Connect with us
Thursday,05-June-2025
Breaking News

Maharashtra

Maharashtra awaits SC nod for bullock cart race

Published

on

The Maharashtra government is awaiting a nod from the Supreme Court for an almost 400-year-old tradition of bullock cart race that was banned by the Bombay High Court.

Called ‘Shankarpaat’, the bullock cart race is a traditional attraction at the fairs in villages across Maharashtra.

It starts soon after the Ganesh festival and continues right through the remaining Kharif, the entire rabi season and ends around April, ahead of summer.

It is not just popular because of the crowds it attracts, but it gives a push to the local economy wherever the events are held coinciding with fairs. This is a popular sport among the farming community.

Similar bullock cart races are held in Karnataka too, especially the areas that are adjoining Maharashtra.

There have been obvious comparisons with Jallikattu, another traditional sport from Tamil Nadu related to bullocks.

The Nagaraja case had resulted in the Supreme Court banning all such bull-related sports. While in Jallikattu, the men are directly in contact with the bullock, pouncing on the running bull, holding it by the hump and using other means to tame it, in Shankarpaat or the bullock cart race, a pair of bulls or a single bull will race along with the cart with the farmer holding the reins and goading the animal.

In April 2017, the state government passed an act that regularised the sport of Shankarpaat.

A PIL was filed in the Bombay High Court, which put a ban on the bullock cart races.

After the ban, the Maharashtra government approached the Supreme Court, which referred the matter to a five-judge bench.

This year, possibly as an antidote to the lockdown induced lull, there have been multiple attempts in Maharashtra where local farmers have resorted to organising such bullock cart races.

On Sunday, Maharashtra Animal Husbandry Minister Sunil Kedar accompanied by the state’s Animal Husbandry Commissioner Shailesh Kende met Senior Advocate Mukul Rohatgi and the Maharashtra government’s counsels on the issue.

Patil told IANS: “We are hoping that the Supreme Court will be hearing our case on Tuesday.”

Kedar was supposed to attend the hearing, which was originally expected on Monday, but rushed back to Mumbai for a meeting.

“This is a topic very close to the hearts of hundreds and thousands of farmers in Maharashtra. It also impacts the rural economy,” Kedar said before leaving for Maharashtra.

Bharatiya Bailgada Sanghatana representative Ramkrishna Takalkar, who also accompanied the government delegation, said: “We farmers look after our bullocks just like our family members. There is no torture or cruelty involved with the animal during the bullock cart races, it is a misinformation campaign by animal lovers. The bullocks are fed regularly. What would we get by torturing the animal?”

Takalkar focussed on the economic aspects of the bullock cart races in Maharashtra.

“If there are no race events at the local village fairs, the farmers have valid question to ask: why should we continue to have these bulls?”

He had an even more pertinent question: “On the one hand, you allow horse races and on the other, you ban bullock cart races? Why the partiality?”

Maharashtra

Abu Asim’s letter to the state chief minister and DGP, threatening Nanded Muslims not to sacrifice, demanding action against miscreants to ensure peace

Published

on

In Nanded, Maharashtra, Bajrang Dal goons have threatened Muslims with weapons in the area so that Muslims do not sacrifice on Eid-ul-Adha, which is a threat to the state’s atmosphere and there is also a fear of communal violence. In such a situation, the police and administration should take strict action to maintain law and order and curb the miscreants because terrorism by Bajrang Dal goons is on the rise here.

To ensure law and order in the Degulur taluka of Dharmabad district of Nanded district of the state, state Chief Minister and Police Chief DGP have been demanded by MLA and Samajwadi Party leader Abu Asim Azmi to take action against sectarians and miscreants. Azmi has made a serious allegation that Bajrang Dal workers are patrolling the Dharmabad area with weapons and are threatening Muslims and trying to intimidate and spoil the atmosphere so that they do not sacrifice on Eid-ul-Adha, and Hindu extremists have warned Muslims not to sacrifice. Abu Asim Azmi has also sent a letter to the Chief Minister and DGP, demanding immediate intervention from the administration in this matter.

He has said in the letter that a local from Dharmaabad, Sheikh Lal Ahmed, has informed him about the mischief of the miscreants. He has alleged that the miscreants of Bajrang Dal are instructing not to offer sacrifices on Eid-ul-Adha and are also threatening Muslims. He said that the terrorism of Bajrang Dal and RSS should be banned and action should be taken against those who spoil the environment so that peace and security is maintained in Dharmaabad on Eid-ul-Adha. Azmi has appealed that strict police security arrangements be made in Dharmaabad on Eid-ul-Adha so that social harmony is maintained and Muslims can celebrate their festival peacefully.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Animal markets will remain open for sacrifice, Gauseva Aayog withdraws controversial order

Published

on

Mumbai: The Mumbai GauSeva Ayog has withdrawn its controversial order to keep cattle markets closed from June 3 to June 8 until Eid-ul-Adha. It has only said that it should be ensured that there is no slaughter of prohibited animals during the sacrifice. After a meeting of Muslim representatives along with Maharashtra Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis, the Chief Minister had issued an order to withdraw the circular, after which the Gau Seva Ayog has withdrawn its controversial circular and order. This circular had said that animal markets in all districts of the state should be closed till June 8 to prohibit cow slaughter on Eid-ul-Adha. Muslims opposed this and during the meeting of Muslim representatives, the Chief Minister had announced the withdrawal of this order. Therefore, the GauSeva Ayog has officially withdrawn the circular and instead issued a new circular, which has lifted the ban on animal markets. Along with this, strict implementation of the cow slaughter law has also been demanded.

The state government is responsible for implementing the cow slaughter law and the police and administration are ready for it, but after the GauSeva Aayog issued such a controversial circular, Samajwadi Party leader and MLA Rais Sheikh had declared it illegal and said that the circular issued is completely illegal and controversial, while the Aayog has no authority to issue orders, it can only make recommendations. In such a situation, after the order of the Chief Minister, now animal markets will continue during the sacrifice period and there is no ban on the market of buffaloes including goats, therefore Muslims have been appealed not to pay attention to rumors.

Deonar Slaughterhouse General Manager Kaleem Pathan also said that the Deonar Goat Market will continue and the order issued by the Gau Seva Aayog has been withdrawn, so the public should not pay attention to rumors about the Deonar Goat Market. He said that along with the facilities in the Goat Market in Deonar, arrangements have been made for the convenience of buyers. Along with stalls, other facilities are also available here. He said that more than 150,000 goats have arrived in the Deonar Goat Market and along with this, more than 80,000 goats are left.

Continue Reading

Maharashtra

Rain started in Mumbai

Published

on

Mumbai: Heavy rains have been continuing in Mumbai since last night. Mumbai city has recorded 20.93 mm of rain, East 23.40 mm and West 20.10 mm of rain. Despite the rain continuing in the city and suburbs, life is normal. Train and bus services are normal. Due to rain in the city, there have also been complaints of water accumulation on the roads due to lack of cleaning of drains in low-lying areas. According to BMC, rain will continue in the city and the rain will be intermittent. Therefore, BMC has claimed to make all the arrangements, but due to lack of repair of roads in the city, citizens are facing a lot of problems.

Continue Reading

Trending