Bullock Cart Races To Resume In Punjab As State Assembly Passes Animal Welfare Bill

Punjab legalized bullock cart racing again with the 2025 Amendment Bill, overturning a 2014 ban.

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Punjab's traditional sport of bullock cart racing is set to make a comeback with the state assembly passing the Punjab Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill 2025.

After the bill was unanimously passed, Chief Minister Bhagwant Mann on Friday referred to the occasion as "historic," announcing the resumption of bullock cart races across the state.

The bill, which was passed during the second day of the special session of the Punjab Assembly here, allows the resumption of bullock cart races in Punjab while implementing safety measures for the animals involved in the sport.

Bullock cart races have not taken place at the Kila Raipur Sports Festival in Ludhiana district— often referred to as the 'mini or rural Olympics'— since a Supreme Court ruling in 2014 banned the races for violating the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act of 1960.

"Considering the important role played by bullock cart racing towards promoting the spirit of games and sports, and enriching the cultural heritage and tradition in the state of Punjab, which is also a great source to keep Punjab's youth away from drug addiction and also to improve indigenous cattle breeds of Punjab, the government of Punjab has decided to exempt the conduct of bullock cart racing in Punjab from the provision of the said Central Act 59 of 1960," the official order read.

Therefore, the government has decided to amend the said Central Act 59 of 1960 in its application to the State of Punjab. Accordingly, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Punjab Amendment) Bill, 2025, is being passed, it further stated.

Sharing positive aspects about the race, Mann said cattle have been integral parts of the agrarian economy of the state, and the Punjabi farmers have raised them as their offspring for ages.

Those who keep bullocks consider them as their "own sons", he said. "We have included a clause in the bill stating that bullock cart operators will not be allowed to carry sticks during races," he added.

The chief minister also announced that races would not only take place in Kila Raipur but also across the state, emphasising that these rural games are an essential part of Punjab's cultural fabric. He stressed that the bill aims to promote rural sports like bullock cart racing while ensuring the welfare of the animals involved.

Mann expressed confidence that the bill would aid in the conservation of Punjab's indigenous cattle breeds.

He also mentioned that the state government would flag the issue of tackling the menace of stray animals with the Centre, as they pose a grave threat to the life and property of people. 

(This report has been published as part of the auto-generated syndicate wire feed. Apart from the headline, no editing has been done in the copy by ABP Live.)