Ranchi, Mar 28 : The Jharkhand government has banned the manufacture, sale, and use of traded spiked bits, commonly used to control horses, in an effort to curb animal cruelty, an official said.
Kiran Kumar Pasi, director of the animal husbandry department and member secretary of the state animal welfare board, said a letter dated March 19 had been sent to all districts, directing authorities to ensure proper enforcement. “Districts have also been asked to conduct raids in this regard,” Pasi told The Times of India on Wednesday.
The move follows existing rules set by the Centre, and the Animal Welfare Board of India had previously announced a nationwide ban on the practice to prevent cruelty to horses.
Similar bans have been implemented in Nagaland, Madhya Pradesh, Andaman and Nicobar, Chandigarh, Chhattisgarh, Goa, Gujarat, Ladakh, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, and Meghalaya.
Animal rights group PETA India, which has been pushing for the ban, welcomed the decision. “This action will go a long way towards ending cruelty to horses in Jharkhand,” PETA India advocacy associate Tushar Kol said in a statement.
Spiked bits, which penetrate deep into a horse’s mouth, can cause severe pain, cuts, and lifelong damage, according to PETA India. The organization cited Rule 8 of the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965, framed under The Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, which prohibits the use of spiked bits, harnesses, or sharp equipment.
Despite the prohibition, PETA India said spiked bits continue to be widely used on horses forced to work at weddings, give rides, haul carriages, and transport goods.
