The Kamrup district administration has imposed a complete ban on the organisation of bulbuli bird fights across the district ahead of Magh Bihu celebrations. The order was issued by the District Magistrate of Kamrup, Dev Kumar Mishra, invoking powers under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita.
The ban applies to all areas of the district, with particular focus on Hajo, where bulbuli bird fights have traditionally been held as part of Magh Bihu celebrations. The administration said the decision was taken in view of existing court orders and the legal status of bulbuli birds under wildlife protection laws.
According to the official order, the decision follows a judgment delivered by the Gauhati High Court on December 17, 2024, in Writ Petition No. 466/2024. In that judgment, the High Court had declared the Assam government’s notification dated December 27, 2023, which allowed buffalo and bulbuli bird fights, as being in violation of the Wildlife Protection Act, 1972, and other related laws. 
The district administration noted that bulbuli birds are listed as protected species under Schedule IV of the Wildlife Protection Act. Organising bird fights during Magh Bihu could cause harm to these birds and would amount to a direct violation of the High Court’s ruling. Officials also warned that allowing such events could lead to contempt of court proceedings.
The order clearly states that any violation of the ban will attract penal action under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, along with other applicable legal provisions.
As a result of the ban, the traditional Bulbuli bird fight associated with Hajo’s Magh Domahi festivities has once again been cancelled. The event, usually held at the ground of the Hayagriva Madhav Temple, will not take place this year. Temple authorities and local game management committees said they have decided to follow court directions and avoid any legal complications.
This is not the first time the event has been called off. The bulbuli bird fight had remained banned for nearly nine years following a judicial order in 2015. It made a brief return in 2024 under strict standard operating procedures and close monitoring, after conditional approval linked to guidelines issued by the Supreme Court of India. The event was held that year in the presence of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. However, with no change in the court’s earlier position, organisers have decided not to proceed this year.
The issue once again highlights the ongoing tension between traditional practices and animal welfare laws in Assam. Similar debates have surrounded the buffalo fights held during Bhogali Bihu at Ahatguri in Morigaon district. These events were banned in 2014 after animal rights group PETA India approached the Gauhati High Court, leading to a prohibition order.
Although the Assam Legislative Assembly later passed an amendment to allow buffalo fights under regulated conditions, citing cultural importance, such traditional animal contests continue to face legal scrutiny. Authorities have reiterated that court orders must be followed strictly and that no exceptions will be made during festival celebrations.
