PANJIM: Rubbishing reports of a study tour to UAE, St Andre MLA Vishnu Surya Wagh, who heads the house committee constituted to examine possibility of dhirios (bullfights) on Friday said that the committee has so far received around 1500 suggestions and objections on the issue.
Speaking to Herald, Wagh said that no decision on UAE has been taken as yet.
“There has been no decision on the tour as yet. The media reports anything,” he said, referring to reports that a delegation is likely to visit Fujairah, one of the seven emirates that make up the United Arab Emirates (UAE), to study bullfights in that country.
“I have only told the media that bullfights are held in UAE and three places in China and that’s it, I haven’t made any specific comment on a visit,” he said adding, “It is not necessary that we visit Dubai or UAE; we can get the video clips or recordings” to study the bullfights there.
The house committee had asked the stakeholders to give their objections and suggestions on the issue by December 10. “We have received around 1,500 objections and suggestions,” Wagh added. Petitions have also been received from Canada and Dubai. ”We have just started the process; let us work for that,” he said.
The house committee has received petitions via emails, postcards, WhatsApp etc Wagh said that he has asked the legislature staff to scrutinize the applications and put them before the committee. The house committee will then call the petitioners.
The committee had also decided to hold a public meeting in major villages where bullfights are popular to know what their opinion is on dhirio. The House committee which held its first sitting on Monday is likely to submit its report to the House by March.
Other House committee members are Benaulim MLA Caitu Silva, Velim MLA Benjamin Silva, Tivim MLA Kiran Kandolkar and Curtorim MLA Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco. House committee members are studying the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, Animal Welfare Act and the Supreme Court verdict on bullfights to understand the issue in totality.
