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Is there no easy way to celebrate Jallikattu?

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Praveen Shekhar
Praveen ShekharJan 20, 2017 | 15:12

Is there no easy way to celebrate Jallikattu?

Is there a middle path to celebrate the traditionally popular Jallikattu and at the same time keep the safeguards in place and not annoy the Supreme Court?

Massive protests against the Supreme Court-imposed ban on Jallikattu have swept through Tamil Nadu. On Wednesday (January 18), around 12,000 agitators, mostly students, staged a protest at the Marina Beach demanding revocation of the ban.

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On Friday (January 20), pro-Jallikattu protesters turned the heat on Narendra Modi after chief minister O Panneerselvam's talks with the Prime Minister failed to yield any desired results. The protesters were expecting a promise from the prime minister on the immediate promulgation of an ordinance bypassing the Supreme Court order.

Prime Minister Modi, however, indicated that the Centre will not issue any ordinance or executive order revoking the ban, but will support steps taken by the state government to hold the sport.

The protesters say they see that as a cue for the Panneerselvam government to take charge of the situation and “restore the tradition”.

Just a few days ago, Panneerselvam had urged the central government to promulgate an ordinance. In a letter to the prime minister, he said Jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities and it holds great importance for the people of Tamil Nadu.

The Supreme Court had banned Jallikattu in 2014 on a petition by animal rights activists on grounds of animal cruelty.

The court later rejected a Tamil Nadu government petition seeking a review of its decision and last year also stayed the Centre's notification allowing Jallikattu. The court has now finished hearing the case and will give a verdict soon.

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The Supreme Court says India cannot import Roman-type gladiator sport. (Credit: PTI photo)

In November 2016, the SC while questioning the Centre for (issuing notification) allowing use of bulls in events like Jallikattu, said India cannot “import Roman-type gladiator sport”. The court went on to say, “How does the bull get tamed for entertainment? Can bulls be contemplated for entertainment of human minds? Bulls are supposed to rest, why should they race. Jallikattu sport itself is cruelty to animals. There is prohibition of cruelty. We have to show compassion to the animals. It is our constitutional obligation.”

Ahead of Pongal this year, a group of people had defied the SC ban and conducted Jallikattu.

The voices against Jallikattu

Those who are against the sport say that the very nature of the sport is by all means a deadly game. They say why celebrate a sport of blood and gore? Their main arguments:

1. In Jallikattu, an agitated bull is set to run in an open space.

2. Several people, empty-handed, try to tame it by controlling its horns.

3. The winner gets a prize, which is generally tied to the horns of the bull.

4. Jallikattu bulls are physically and mentally tortured for the pleasure and enjoyment of human beings.

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5. Many get are killed and many others injured during the bull fight.

6. There is no historical, cultural or religious significance.

7. According to an Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) report, Jallikattu is nothing but animal cruelty. The report also mentions ear cutting/mutilation, fracture, dislocation of tail bones, frequent defecation, urination, injuries leading to death, biting or twisting a bull's tail, poking bulls with knives and sticks, use of irritants, use of nose ropes, cramped conditions, spectators beating and agitating bulls, and other cruelties meted out to the bulls within the arena besides mental torture.

On July 26, the apex court had said just because the bull-taming sport of Jallikattu was a centuries-old tradition, it cannot be justified.

The pro-Jallikattu brigade

Those vociferously supporting the bull-taming event believe that from an outsider’s point of view this sport may look like a cruel one, but for the people of Tamil Nadu it represents a glorious part of their tradition. This a sport that they have clung on to in a fervent manner for centuries. It is an emotional issue for Tamils and something very close to their heart. They argue:

1. These are traditional practices closely associated with village life, especially in the southern districts.

2. The bulls are specifically identified, trained and nourished for these sporting events, and their owners spend considerable sums on their upkeep.

3. No tickets are sold for Jallikattu or bullock-cart races, and not much pain or suffering is caused to the animal. Thus, they argue, while these events may be regulated, they ought not to be completely prohibited, because rural livelihoods ride on Jallikattu.

4. The Supreme Court in its May 2014 order had also held that bulls cannot be used as performing animals. They are anatomically not designed for that, but are forced to perform, inflicting pain and suffering, in total violation of Sections 3 and Section 11(1) of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. Jallikattu supporters, however, are demanding amendments to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act that would enable lawful use of native cattle in the traditional, cultural and religious sports.

Last week, the Supreme Court refused to advance its judgment on a clutch of petitions challenging a notification by the Centre allowing Jallikattu this year. Die-hard Jallikattu supporters along with major political parties in Tamil Nadu have now turned the sport into a debate over Tamilian pride versus the Supreme Court. The two major parties – the AIADMK and the DMK -- are asking to lift the ban.

Popular actor Vijay, lending his support to protestors, said: "Law was not created to rob people of their tradition and rights but to protect it. Jallikattu is every Tamilian's identity. Those who are protesting against the ban on Jallikattu are united by the feeling that they are Tamilians but not out of compulsion or political pressure.”

Voices like his and many others supporting the sport are in total contrast to what the apex court said: “Every species has a right to life and security, subject to the law of the land… Article 21 of the Constitution, while safeguarding the rights of humans, protects life and the word ‘life’ has been given an expanded definition and any disturbance from the basic environment which includes all forms of life, including animal life… fall within the meaning of Article 21 of the Constitution.”

Another interesting observation of the court was that "an animal also has honour and dignity of which it cannot be arbitrarily deprived of. Its rights and privacy have to be respected and protected from unlawful attacks". Clearly, the SC has expanded the Right to Life under Article 21 to all forms of life, including animals.

Although the order of the Supreme Court is law of the land, the storm kicked over Jallikattu looks far from settling down.

Last updated: January 20, 2017 | 15:26
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