Shetkari Sanghatana, a farmers' organisation in Maharashtra, today demanded lifting of the ban on bullock cart racing in the state and threatened to launch a state-wide agitation over the issue.
A Shiv Sena MP from Pune district had also demanded a rollback of the ban on bullock cart races recently.
"Today, we held a meeting of farmers, owners of bullock carts, representatives of political parties at Miraj in Sangali district. During the meeting, it was decided that if the ban on bullock cart racing is not lifted and the sport is not allowed to be resumed in the state, we will launch a state-wide agitation," Raghunath Patil, president of Shetkari Sanghatana, said.
He said that on January 30, the Shetkari Sanghatana will hold a stir in Pune to press for the demand.
"In various parts of the state, bullock cart racing is popular. There was a great demand for bulls of a particular breed in rural parts and farmers used to get good returns for such animals, which were trained and reared with utmost care," Patil said.
"However, since there is ban on bullock cart racing in the state, farmers are feeling the pinch as such competitions in the rural parts of the state cannot take place," he said adding that farmers are already facing hardships due to beef ban.
"A good trained and young bull used to fetch almost Rs One lakh, however, now farmers are not getting Rs 15,000 for same animal," he added.
He added that a lie is being spread that the animal is subjected to cruelty. "But the fact is that utmost care is taken about the animal in its rearing," he said.
Meanwhile, Shiv Sena MP from Shirur constituency in Pune district, Shivajirao Adhalrao Patil, who had demanded lifting of a ban on bullock cart sport, today said that soon his party's delegation would meet CM to press for the demand.
He had earlier said that taking a cue from Tamil Nadu CM, the Maharashtra government and Chief Minister Devendra Fadnavis should approach the Prime Minister and seek a central ordinance to lift the ban on bullock cart racing in the state.
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