Taming the bull: Jallikattu festival. File The Supreme Court declined to vacate its order barring the bull taming sport Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu held during Pongal festival, causing widespread dismay in the state.
An apex court bench comprising Justice Dipak Misra and Justice N.V. Ramana declined to lift an earlier order that put on hold a central government notification allowing Jallikattu and bull races.
Rejecting the contention of petitioner Radhakrishnan, the bench said they were not inclined to vacate their order of Tuesday prohibiting Jallikattu — on grounds of cruelty to the bulls.
The court said they were “unimpressed” by the submission made by the petitioner seeking a lifting of the stay.
Jallikattu, an ancient sport, is held in rural parts of Tamil Nadu during Pongal festival. It involves young men clinging on to the hump of bulls to win prize money.
Appearing for the petitioner, counsel N. Raja Raman told the court that Jallikattu was a part of Tamil tradition and culture and was being carried on for thousands of years.
Raman said the animals in Jallikattu were the pride of the farmers who viewed them as a part of their own families.
The ruling triggered demonstrations in parts of Tamil Nadu. A hunger strike began in Alanganallur and Palemedu, the two places known for the sport in Madurai district.
Protests were also held in support of the sport in Chennai, Madurai, Salem, Pudukottai and Trichy.
P. Rajasekaran, president of the Jallikattu Paddukappu Peravai, said there cannot be any cruelty inflicted on the animals as they were subjected to medical examination before and after the event.
At Mamallapuram near Chennai, central minister Nirmala Sitharam said the Tamil Nadu government could enact an ordinance to permit Jallikattu during Pongal festival and New Delhi would back it.
She said the central government cannot promulgate an ordinance as a case was pending in the court. But the Tamil Nadu government could come up with an ordinance and the central government would support it.
Chief Minister J. Jayalalithaa and political parties in Tamil Nadu had urged the central government to issue an ordinance to allow Jallikattu. It involves young men clinging on to the hump of bulls to win prize money.
Disagreeing with Raman’s submission that attack on Jallikattu was rooted in colonial era law of protecting animals from cruelty, Justice Misra said the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals law was enacted in 1960 when India was independent.
Appearing for one of the petitioners on whose petition the apex court had on Tuesday stayed the operation of the government notification permitting Jallikattu, senior counsel C.A. Sundaram made light of submission that BBC had made a documentary saying there was no cruelty to bulls in Jallikattu.
Referring to an earlier judgment of the apex court, Sundaram said it was held that the anatomy of the bulls was not such that they could be used for sports like Jallikattu or racing. He said the bulls cannot be called performing animals either.
The apex court order of Tuesday putting on hold the central government’s January 7 notification followed petitions by animal rights activist Gauri Maulekhi and NGOs Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, Animal Welfare Board of India, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations.
If only there was organised betting on a big scale or the bulls were reared by rich people like race horses, then bull taming sport Jallikattu would not have faced a ban, activists favouring uninterrupted continuation of the popular rural sport aver.
“The bull vaulting sport is not played in the so-called cow belt states in north India. If the sport was played there, then there would have been a big uproar,” Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, managing trustee of the Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation (SKCRF), said.
According to him, horse racing is not facing any threat as it is supported by the rich whereas bull vaulting is patronised by the rural poor.
“It is strange why the animal rights activists do not raise their voice against the slaughter houses where the bovines are killed for their meat,” P. Rajasekaran, president of the Jallikattu Paddukappu Peravai, said.
He declined to comment on the apex court’s decision on staying the central government notification allowing Jallikattu subject to certain conditions.
“I don’t want to speak about the actions of the governments — central or state — or the court decision,” he said.
He said it was a traditional rural sport that has been played for centuries.
The activists demand banning of horse racing and dog shows as these animals were also subjected to strenuous training.
Sivasenapathy said the activists were also against the native dog breed and there was a clear game plan behind their opposition to all native animal breeds.
According to Rajasekaran, there was not much money involved in Jallikattu.
“The entry is free for spectators and many rural youth reserve their seats coming to the spectator gallery the night before the event. The prize is given by the owners. There is no big prize money but it ranges from cycle to steel cupboards or some cash,” he said.
“We raise the Jallikattu bull for love of the animal and to preserve the native gene. There is no revenue for the bull owners from the sport,” I.T. Seemaan, a bull owner and an advocate, said over phone from Madurai.
He said a bull that is not tamed at Jallikattu was a preferred stud for the cow owners in that village.
“No, there is no stud fee. If I charge a stud fee, then I will be laughed at. But in urban areas, male dog owners charge mating fee from owners of female dogs,” he said. (IANS)