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| Source: The Print |
Jallikattu is a bull-taming sport which is popular in Madurai, Theni,
Pudukkottai, Tiruchirappalli and Dindigul districts – known as Jallikattu belt
of Tamil Nadu. It is a traditional event which is celebrated during the Tamil
harvest festival, Pongal in the second week of January.
It is a violent sport in which a bull is released among people and
several participants try to hold the hump on the back of the angry bull with
both arms and hang on it while the bull tries to escape. In order to win, the
participants need to hold the hump of the bull till it stops. Sometimes, the
participants need to ride the bull long enough to remove the flag on the horns
of the bull.
Jallikattu is the only way for peasants or the bull owners to gain
some monetary benefits by breeding Jallikattu bulls as the farm sector is
totally mechanized and there are no other major benefits for the bull owners in
breeding these bulls.
History
The modern term “jallikattu" is derived from Tamil terms “salli
kassu" which refers to the coins that are tied to the horns of the bull
and in order to win the participants need to grab that prize.
Long ago, Jallikattu was called Eru thazuval or “embracing the
bull". A seal discovered from Mohenjo Daro which is dated between 2,500 BC
and 1800 BC depicting this old tradition of bull taming is preserved in the
National Museum, New Delhi.
It is a very old traditional practice which has been practiced since
the Tamil Classical Period. Tamil Nadu which was lately known as “Tamizh
Nadu" had a geographical division called “Mullai" which was home to
Ayar people who used to practice this violent sport.
Another evidence of jallikattu being an ancient practice comes from a
cave painting in white discovered near Madurai representing a lone man
attempting to gain control over the bull is estimated to be about 1,500 years
old.
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| Source: Reuters |
Importance of
Jallikattu in Tamil Culture
The peasant community of Tamil Nadu consider this traditional sport as
a way to preserve the pure-native breeds of the bull.
The farm sector is totally mechanized after the Green Revolution and
cattle breeding has become more or less artificial, therefore the peasants and
the conservationists argue that Jallikattu is the only way to preserve these
male animals which are otherwise used only for meat if not for ploughing.
The popular native cattle breeds used for Jallikattu includes Bargur,
Malai Maadu, Kangayam, Pulikulam, and Umbalachery.
Legal Battles
Around Jallikattu
The participants and the animals forced into this violent sport are
always prone to the incidents of injury and death. Therefore, in 2007 the
Animal Welfare Board of India and the animal rights group PETA (People for the
Ethical Treatment of Animals) moved petitions in the Supreme Court against the
bullock cart races and the Jallikattu.
In 2009, the Tamil Nadu government passed a law, the Tamil Nadu
Regulation of Jallikattu Act, which was signed by the governor in order to work
its way out of the ban. On 8 April 2009, this law was challenged by PETA before
the Supreme Court.
In 2011, when the center was ruled by the UPA regime, the Ministry of
Environment and Forests issued a notification which added bulls to the list of
animals whose training and exhibition is prohibited.
On 7 May 2014, days before BJP came to power, the Supreme Court banned
Jallikattu and struck down the law passed by the state government on the basis
of plea by the AWBI and PETA.
In 2016, the Ministry of Environment and Forests modified its earlier
notification in order to permit the sport but the Supreme Court put a stay on
the center’s notification after hearing the pleas by the AWBI and PETA.
Later, the Supreme Court dismissed the State government’s review
petition seeking permission to conduct the sport in 2017.
In January 2017, after the death of Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa, a
massive protest was witnessed in the Chennai city itself against the ban on
Jallikattu.
In the same year after the protests, the State government proposed an
ordinance to make changes in the Central Act (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals
Act, 1960). The ordinance to amend the Central Act was cleared by the Centre
and the State passed the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu
Amendment) Act, 2017 , thereby allowing the conduct of Jallikattu.
Soon after the Tamil Nadu Amendment Act, 2017 brought into effect by
the State, the AWBI and PETA again challenged the move, arguing it was
unconstitutional but the Supreme Court refused to stay the Tamil Nadu Amendment
Act, 2017.
On 2 February 2018, all the petitions filed against the Jallikattu
case were referred to a Constitution Bench by the Supreme Court and the case is
pending now.
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| Source: freepressjournal |
Conclusion
In our Constitution, the Article 29(1) states that “any section of the
citizens residing in the territory of India or any part thereof having a
distinct language, script or culture of its own shall have the right to
conserve the same".
According to the Article 29(1), it is the fundamental right of the
people of Tamil Nadu to practice their cultural sport.
But according to Animal Welfare groups, the bulls are handled in a
cruel manner before they are released into the crowd of the people.
According to some reports, the bulls are forced to drink alcohol so
that they can be disoriented. Also, in order to aggravate the bull, chilli
peppers are used to rub their eyes.
Sometimes during the play, human participants as well as the bull got
injured so badly. An investigation by the AWBI deduced that “jallikattu is
inherently cruel to animals".
Written by – Sanjana Yadav
Edited by – Adrija Saha
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