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Taking Jallikattu bull by the horns

For the past three years, Tamil Nadu has been fighting every January to hold the traditional rural sport Jallikattu, which…

Taking Jallikattu bull by the horns

(PHOTO: Facebook)

For the past three years, Tamil Nadu has been fighting every January to hold the traditional rural sport Jallikattu, which was banned since 2014. With political parties jumping in to make use of the issue, passions are running high on the question of Tamil pride.
In 2014, the Supreme Court had struck down the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act of 2009 brought by Jayalalitha – a state law that permitted the event – stating that it violated the national law. The State government managed to control the protests and public anger last year but in the post-Jayalalitha era, the issue has become a political tool.
What is this about? Jallikattu is the Indian cousin of the Spanish bullfight. But unlike the Spanish version, Jallikattu seeks only to tame the bulls and take away the prize money tied to their horns.  Back in 1991, the  Union Environment Ministry had banned the training and exhibition of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and dogs.  The Indian Circus Organisation challenged it before the Delhi High Court, and after prolonged litigation, the court upheld the  notification. The ministry issued a fresh notification in 2011, which specifically included “bulls”, paving the way for the Jallikattu ban. 
The May 2014 Supreme Court  order upheld the 2011 notification holding “Forcing and pulling the bull by a nose rope into the narrow, closed enclosure or ‘vadi vassal’ (entry point), subjecting it to all forms of torture, fear, pain and suffering by forcing it to go into the arena and also over-powering it in the arena by bull tamers, are not for the well-being of the animal.”
This year too, supporting the ban are the animal  rights activists who insist that the cruel sport should be banned. “If the law continues to be disregarded, we beseech you to exercise powers under Article 356 of the Constitution to ensure that the situation is brought under control, and the law of the land is given the respect it deserves,” they recently urged the Union Home Minister in a  letter. Through various reports, affidavits and photographs, the Animal Welfare Board of India has argued that Jallikattu bulls are physically and mentally tortured for the pleasure and enjoyment of human beings. Allowing Jallikattu would have spurred other courts – from Punjab and Uttar Pradesh to Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Assam and Maharashtra – to allow cruelty to animals in the name of tradition, they contend.
Jallikattu supporters quoting scriptures like the Bhagavata Purana and Vishnu Purana claim that it has been prevalant for centuries. However, gradually the village landlords converted this into a gallery sport. Being a long-standing tradition, no tickets are sold for Jallikattu or bullock-cart races. Thus, they argue, while these events may be regulated, they ought not to be prohibited.
Almost all Tamil Nadu political parties including the Congress, BJP and the Left parties apart from the mainline Dravidian parties are demanding the lifting of the ban. The Jallikattu belt is dominated by the politically powerful OBC Thevar community, which has considerable clout in several parties.
Political parties in Tamil Nadu have turned Jallikattu into a highly emotional issue to gain political mileage. While the AIADMK chose the letter route, the DMK is taking to  street protests. The state’s regional parties known to confront each other on nearly every issue have unitedly come out  against the ban. 
Knowing the importance of the issue the new AIADMK General Secretary Sasikala Natarajan and chief minsiter O. Pannerselvam had written to the Centre to allow the sport. but the Centre is waiting for the court verdict. Rallying behind the cause Panneerselvam said in his letter: “Considering the groundswell of sentiment and support for the conduct of Jallikattu all over Tamil Nadu, this is an issue on which the Government of India must act with maximum despatch.”
DMK working president M.K.Stalin who was elevated on Jaunary 4  is in the forefront of the agitation on continuing the Tamil tradition. He has blamed the chief minister and Sasikala for failing to get a nod from the Centre. He demands that the Centre should issue an ordinance permitting the sport. He claimed that “Until the DMK was in power, Jallikattu was properly conducted as per the safety guidelines. The issue started only when the AIADMK came to power in 2011.”
The BJP clearly plans to get a foot hold in a post-Jayalalitha Tamil Nadu.  While the notification of the Union Environment ministry under Prakash Javadekar last year allowing Jallikattu was scrapped by the court, his successor Anil Dave this time holds that the bulls are not ill treated in Jallikattu. But the Centre will wait for the court verdict.
Defying the ban, Jallikattu was held even before Pongal in some southern districts of the State this week. Protesting against the ban are the  people, particularly youth who have taken to the streets in the form of marathan and  rallies and public meetings. Matinee idols like Kamal Hassan,  Sathyaraj and film maker Karu Pazhaniapan have also participated in a stir pledging support for Jallikattu.
No doubt there is truth in the stand of animal rights activists, but there is also need to respect the Tamil sentiment. It is for the Centre and the State to find a solution instead of fighting every January.

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