In a big relief for rural Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu before the Pongal/Sankranti festivities, the Supreme Court on Friday stayed an Andhra Pradesh High Court order allowing joint teams of police and district administration to barge into any premises and seize roosters primed for traditional fights. The fights are conducted by farmers as part of the Pongal/Sankranti celebrations.
A Bench of Chief Justice of India J.S. Khehar and Justices N.V. Ramana and D.Y. Chandrachud was hearing a writ petition filed by industrialist Kanumuru Raghu Ramakrishna Rao against the December 26, 2016, order of the High Court of Judicature at Hyderabad for the State of Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, giving a free hand to officials to disrupt the 6000-year-old “sport” held across 13 districts.
‘Farmers threatened’
The apex court issued notice to the State government, the Animal Welfare Board of India, and the Director General of Police of Andhra Pradesh, among others, on Mr. Rao's petition.
The court directed them to file their counter-affidavits in four weeks.
The petition, filed through Supreme Court advocate Sateesh Galla, contended that the roosters were bred indigenously by farmers as a means of livelihood.
The High Court order and the resultant arbitrary “crackdown” by inspection teams on farmsteads in rural Andhra Pradesh had broken the backs of the farmers, leaving them in a state of constant fear when they should be rejoicing during the festival.
The petition said the order amounted to wiping out entire breeds of indigenous roosters, which would affect the poultry market and self-sustenance of farmers.
“It is important to protect the rights of birds as well as that of the human beings who breed them,” it contended.
The petition said since December 26, when the order was pronounced by the High Court, police and officials had arrested farmers and seized rare breed of roosters from their owners and kept them in police custody.
“This is nothing but the abuse of democracy,” it said. “The main source of income for the farmers is poultry. Can the authorities take away their right to livelihood guaranteed under the Constitution,” the petition asked.
