HC suggests ban on cockfights

The Madras High Court today asked the state government to put a ban on cockfight and fighting of any other birds or animal in Tamil Nadu.
Justices N Kirubakaran and S Vaidyanathan of Madurai bench while dismissing a petition for direction to Madurai City Police Commissioner to grant permission for cockfights during a festival at the Arulmigu Muniyandi Temple in Virattipathu observed that it was not only the custodian of rights of the citizens "but also the rights of the voiceless non-humans".
Citing provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act and interpretation of judgement by the Supreme Court in Jallikattu (taming of bulls) case and overall interest of the society, the bench declined to grant the prayer and said it was time for the authorities to rise to the occasion to do the needful.

The Bench, while dealing with the section 11(a) of PCA Act 1960 which prohibits treating any animal in any way which causes unnecessary pain suffering, said "When the rights of the Human beings are infringed, the law of the land takes care of the situation. What about the natural rights of the animals and birds?
"After all, we "human beings" are also one of the creatures of God along with other living creatures in the world. Though man is considered to be the supreme form of God's Creature, whether the supreme creature has got any right to injure intentionally, torture deliberately, cause pain and mental torture make the birds to fight unnecessarily? Certainly not."

Justice N Kirubakaran, who wrote the Judgement, cited a quote of Mahatma Gandhi that the greatness of a nation and its moral progress can be measured by the way in which its animals are treated.