Nation at the horns of a dilemma over Jallikattu
While animal activists say bulls are ‘tortured’, protesters reject claim
The pro-Jallikattu movement is reflecting poorly on India, but that has not deterred the Tamil Nadu state government to pass a bill replacing an ordinance to legalise the bull-taming sport Jallikattu.
The state witnessed weeklong protests and the chief motivation was against the Supreme Court, which banned the sport in a decision citing animal cruelty based on a lawsuit by the animal rights activists group People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (Peta) that said the tradition violates the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.
Opposition to Jallikattu has also come from the Animal Welfare Board of India and the Federation of Indian Animal Protection and judges of the Supreme Court too have voiced their opposition and criticised the Central government’s support for the sport.
Strangely, it is one of the rare times that the ruling political party AIADMK (All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam) and the main opposition party DMK (Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam), have joined hands on an issue demanding the Supreme Court imposed ban on Jallikattu be lifted.
Symbol of Tamil pride
Popular in Madurai, Sivaganga, Dindigul and Pudukottai districts, protests over the sport beloved by villagers have caused immense harm to public and private property in the state. But certain sections of the society have been trying to portray it as a symbol of Tamil pride.
While NGOs and animal rights activists assert that bulls are ‘tortured’ in Jallikattu and have drawn comparisons with Spanish bull-fighting, protesters claim this is far from reality.
Hima Kiran, joint secretary of SKCRF (Senaapathy Kangayam Cattle Research Foundation), one of the strong advocates of Jallikattu as a tool for development of high quality cattle breeds, said, “Those who don’t know anything about Jallikattu are attacking the sport. The bans over the years are destroying our cattle wealth, our culture and agriculture economy.”
Dismissing claims that the sport was promoting cruelty towards animals, Kiran said the bulls were not subjected to any cruelty, neither were they intoxicated or harmed. They are just tested for their virility, agility, sturdiness and alertness.
However, PETA claimed such arguments were a sham, and veterinarians could determine which bulls are healthiest with far more scientific rigour than Jallikattu can.
Incidentally, some celebrities including film stars Rajnikanth, Kamal Hassan, Dhanush, Rana Daggubati, Mahesh Babu, Oscar winning music composer A.R. Rahman, chess champion Viswanathan Anand and spiritual gurus Jaggie Vasudev and Sri Sri joined the Jallikattu protests.
As controversy erupted around the issue in other Indian states as well, some Indians living in Sri Lanka, Singapore, Malaysia, the US, Australia and South Africa also protested in support.
Meanwhile, Attorney General of India Mukul Rohatgi, sees a middle ground of continuing with the custom without cruelty. He said the state must take care to evolve certain rules to ensure the sport is carried out in a manner where neither the animal, nor the participants are injured.
He suggested, guidelines should specify that a minimum distance of 30 metres exists between the animal and spectators and it must be made “illegal and punishable” for participants and spectators to torture the animal.
But the pro-Jallikattu move has led other states to raise the pitch for outlawed sports. Members of the Kambala organising committee in Karnataka say they will stage the Kambala race on January 28.