MARGAO
Will filing FIRs against landowners be the answer to putting a stop to dhirios—the banned bull fights that continue unabated in certain pockets of Salcete?
South Goa District Collector Egna Cleetus has once again warned that the administration will move to register FIRs against landowners who allow bull fights to be held on their properties.
The administration, however, will have to answer a fundamental question: can landowners, including owners of agricultural fields, be held responsible when organisers of illegal bull fights use their properties without their knowledge or consent?
Sources have sought clarity on the Collector’s statement, particularly in cases where landowners may be abroad for employment or may simply be unaware that bull fights are being organised on their properties.
“More often than not, bull fights are organised in paddy fields and open grounds. Is the district Collector expecting landowners to fence their paddy fields, which remain fallow and barren, just to prevent organisers from holding the banned sport?” questioned a landowner.
He added, “It appears that the district administration is trying to shift the blame onto landowners for the bull fights in order to cover up the failure of the police machinery. Instead of correcting the system, the administration is trying to punish innocent landowners.”
Sources also questioned how the police intelligence network could fail to detect bull fights when hundreds, if not thousands, of dhirio enthusiasts from several villages gather to witness the events.
While the District Collector has maintained that the administration is holding fortnightly meetings to identify those organising the bull fights, sources said the district administration should seek answers from the police authorities at these meetings on how such events continue to escape the attention of the police.
FIR against two
Meanwhile, Colva police have registered an FIR against two persons for allegedly organising a bull fight at Pulvaddo, Benaulim, on Sunday.
According to the police, the two accused, both from Benaulim, allegedly organised an illegal bull fight at Pulvaddo, where two bulls were made to fight each other in the presence of a crowd for entertainment, thereby subjecting the animals to cruelty.
A case has been registered against the accused under Sections 11(1)(m) and 11(1)(n) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
