The Madras High Court on Thursday directed the Tamil Nadu government to permit only native breeds of bulls to participate in Jallikattu events. A division bench headed by Justices N Kirubakaran (retd) and P Velmurugan also directed the state government to encourage bull owners and farmers to groom native breeds by way of subsidy or incentives. Imported, hybrid or crossbreed bulls have been prohibited and the Court has made it mandatory for the bulls to be certified by veterinarians before participation in Jallikattu.
Observing preservation of native breeds of bulls, the court also directed the government to avoid artificial insemination of animals as it would deny mating rights of animals which amounts to cruelty under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960. "When rights of 'voice less' animals are violated, this Court has to raise its 'voice' to protect their rights," the Court said while hearing the plea.
Over the years, the centuries-old bull-taming sport has garnered more than its fair share of legal and political attention. Despite past bans, the sport continues with certain restrictions in place, held every year during Pongal in the second week of January. And while there have been petitions calling for an end to Jallikattu, this does not seem likely to happen in the near future.
Simply put, Jallikattu is a sport of sorts where a bull is released into a crowd of people and they then attempt to catch hold of the hump on the bull's back. While the bull does its best to escape, participants have to hold onto the hump for as long as possile and try to make the animal stop. Sometimes they also find themselves removing flags and other paraphernalia from the bull's horns. The sport has proven dangerous for both the humans and animals, with injuries and even deaths being reported in the past.
In 2011, the Congress-led central government had issued a notification banning the use of bulls as performing animals. This did not however ban the sport in Tamil Nadu. For the next few years, until 2014, it continued to occur under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act.
In 2014, the Supreme Court of India banned Jallikattu after the People for Ethical Treatment of Animals filed a plea. The court in its 2014 judgement had said bulls cannot be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races, and banned their use for these purposes across the country.
The respite however was short lived. In January 2016, the Centre paved the way for resumption of Jallikattu events - a fact that would soon become a bone of contention with the Supreme Court. The Centre had issued a notification lifting ban on Jallikattu in poll-bound Tamil Nadu with certain restrictions and told the apex court that it would be ensured that bulls were neither tortured nor made to take alcohol prior to Jallikattu.
A year later, with the Supreme Court agreeing to delay its verdict to prevent unrest, Jallikattu made a return in Tamil Nadu. In 2017, amid protests from the people of Tamil Nadu, claiming the event is a crucial part of their culture, the ban was lifted.
It must be mentioned however, that while the dangerous sport continues, there are some restrictions (such as those imposed today by the Madras High Court) that have now come into effect to regulate the situation.
(With inputs from agencies)
