EDITORIAL 2: All about dhiro, Goa’s traditional bull fights
Context
During a discussion in the state Assembly last week, legislators across party lines demanded the legalisation of bull fighting in Goa.
A traditional ‘sport’
- The MLAs said that bull fighting, locally referred to as dhirio or dhiri, is an integral part of Goa’s cultural fabric.
- These bull fights have traditionally been held in paddy fields and football grounds of Goa, with village shepherds bringing in their animals.
- Dhiri was a part and parcel of every Church fest and villagers from miles around would gather to witness the popular sport in which two thorough-bred bulls fight each other.
- Sole actors are two carefully selected and trained bulls who have been brought to the fighting pitch by several secret ministrations.
- The bulls charge at each other and the clash of their heads sound like the falling of a gigantic tree struck by lightning.
‘Dhiro’ – A culture
- A bull fight begins with two bulls dashing at each other and locking horns. They head-butt each other and repeatedly charge and retreat, provoked by trainers standing behind.
- The bull that gets pushed out of the arena first or turns and runs away loses the fight, unlike in Spain where the animal has to die for the fight to end.
- It is a straight fight till one bull falls or flees. Often a bull is seriously injured.
- Bulls can even be gored to death at times. Agitated bulls may also charge at spectators, causing grievous injuries.
- Bull fights have been taking place in Goa for generations, going back to the time of the Portuguese.
- The economy was largely agrarian in those days. So, it was a custom to organise such fights after the harvest season. It was a form of entertainment. People would discuss the fights for days.
A ban ‘only in the books’
- A NGO People for Animals filed a petition in the High Court of Bombay at Goa contending that bull fights were occurring illegally in contravention to the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
- The High Court subsequentlly found bullfights to be illegal and said they cannot be permitted to be organised.
- The Court directed the state to take immediate steps to ban all types of animal fights including bull fights and ‘dhirios’ in the state of Goa.
- Nonetheless, bull fights continue to be organised clandestinely especially in coastal villages of Benaulim, Colva, Fatorda and Betalbatim in South Goa and coastal belt in North Goa.
- Now, they are popular for betting. The ban is only in the books. The Goan diaspora in Europe too places bets on fights.
Way forward
- While bullfighting, or dhirio, is undeniably woven into the cultural and historical fabric of Goan society, reflecting traditions that span generations, it also raises serious ethical and legal questions in the modern context.
- As the state considers calls for legalisation, it must weigh the importance of preserving cultural heritage against the imperative to uphold animal welfare and the rule of law.
- A possible path forward could involve exploring culturally respectful alternatives that celebrate tradition without causing harm, ensuring that heritage and humanity coexist.