The union government has lifted a ban on a popular but controversial bull running festival called Jallikattu, angering animal rights activists who say it is cruel and abusive. Major injuries and deaths also may occur from the sport. In 2004, at least five people were reported dead and several hundreds injured. Over 200 have died from the sport over the past two decades. Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, the bull is not killed and there are rarely any casualties suffered by the bulls. Animal activists have objected to the sport over the years. The Animal Welfare Board of India took the case to the Supreme Court for an outright ban on Jallikattu because of the cruelty to animals and the threat to public safety involved. On 27 November 2010 the Supreme Court in accordance with the law enacted on the regulation of events, permitted the Tamil Nadu government to allow Jallikattu for five months in a year from January 15. The court also directed the District Collectors to make sure that the animals that participate in Jallikattu are registered to the Animal Welfare Board and in return the Board would send its representative to monitor the event. The state government ordered that Rs. 2 lakhs be deposited by the organisers for the benefit of the victims which also includes the victim’s family, in case of an accident or injury during the event. The government also enacted a rule to allow a team of veterinarians would be present at the venue for testing and certifying the bulls for participation in the event and to provide treatment for bulls that get injured.
The Supreme Court of India had banned Jallikattu bull fights on 7th May 2014, the court struck down a 2011 Tamil Nadu law regulating the conduct of Jallikattu and the judges also asked the centre to amend the law on preventing cruelty to animals to bring bulls within its ambit. On 8 January, 2016 the central government permitted continuation of the sport in Tamil Nadu. Actually, it is a bad decision by BJP government and done for political reasons. It is a practice which people of TN takes as tradition but should not be allowed if it has inhuman and cruelty angle. There are many cruel traditions that are banned in India looking at human welfare; Jallikattu is also on the same lines. We, as a nation, cannot behave responsibly when it comes to drinking alcohol or playing lottery (when both were part of our tradition & culture). We got lottery banned and now want alcohol to be prohibited. People involved in Jallikattu often abuse themselves and the bull, and that is not going to end unless a ban is imposed on it. How can we expect them to take care of the bulls when they cannot take care of themselves? The process of preparing the bulls before the event has to be stopped. People pierce the animal with very sharp objects, pour irritants on the bull’s eyes, bite and twist its tail to make them surrender. Bulls are fed liquor and have chili powder thrown into their eyes before running. This is inhuman behaviours and should be stopped immediately. However, politicians doesn’t care about the atrocities on animals, they just see vote bank. We need to spread more and more awareness against such cruel sports.
A government order said the event, held every January to mark the winter harvest in Tamil Nadu, would be allowed to go ahead this year after it was cancelled in 2015. There are many things that politics of TN scores. Blind hatred, convoluted logic, outdated reasoning; these things don’t allow flow of currency from other states in Tamil Nadu.
I thank the present government for allowing cruelty against animals. Let the sport continue with inflicting wounds on the bull, but their vote bank should be intact. Let the innocent animals suffer but we humans should enjoy on it. Now, the bull fight would be between the political parties too and that includes BJP and AIWB. Since, all the parties have spoken in favour of the sport; this would not tilt the political scales in Tamil Nadu elections and the alliance mathematics will place the major roll. However, every national as well as political party will try to take credit for this. Bulls are let loose during the event and young men compete to subdue them.
The previous UPA government ordered a ban in 2011 but it was not implemented until 2015 after the Supreme Court had dismissed a slew of legal challenges. Tamil historians claim the sport dates back to the second century AD and predates the Spanish matadors. Most of the people of this country are “horrified” that the same authorities who claimed to care for cattle are now allowing the cruelty on it even after it has been banned by the apex court of India.
