Jallikattu Then And Now: Objection, Agitation, Legislation - A Flashback

Chennai, Jan 16: With a 19-year-old Jallikattu spectator in Madurai being gored to death, the controversial bull-taming festival of Tamil Nadu once again grabbed headlines. Nearly 12 months back, the national opinion was sharply divided over the practice of Jallikattu, with animal rights' activist demanding a blanket ban on Jallikattu citing the alleged atrocities against the bulls.  The state government, however, succeeded in legalising the fest using a special legislation.

What is Jallikattu?

Jallikattu, also referred to as eru thazhuvuthal in the interiors of Tamil Nadu, is a cultural sport where a bull, particularly from the native Bos Indicus breed, is set aloose to run. The participants are tasked to tame the bull without using weapons.

The traditional practice has various variants: the most prominent being the one where the winner is decided on the basis of the duration for which he rode the raging bull riding on its hump. In other cases, the participants should not only tame the bull, but also removed the flag tied on its horns.

History of Jallikattu

The history of Jallikattu dates back to as early as 200 BC, with references to it found in the ancient Sangam literature. Another major admissible evidence for the historians was recorded during the excavation of Mohenjo Daro (now part of Pakistan) in 1930. A seal was recovered which depicted the practice of bull-taming. This proved that Jallikattu was a relevant sport during the era of Indus Valley civilisation.

Turbulence over Jallikattu in 2016-17: A flashback

Objections

At least two prominent animal rights' group - People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) - sought a ban on Jallikattu.

- The basis of their appeal was the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960, which prohibits beating, kicking, over-riding, over-driving. over-loading, torturing and subjecting any animal to unnecessary pain and suffering.

- As per the submission made by PETA, the bull is not biologically and physically designed to take part in races. The animal is forced to run by making it consume alcohol, twisting and nail-jibing their tails, using sickle to pierce their body parts and yanking their nose-rope to cause maximum pain, PETA said.

- In the authorised inspections undertaken by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), PETA had documented the above mentioned atrocities against the bull, which causes the animal to "slip, fall, run into barriers and traffic – and even jump off cliffs in their desperate attempts to escape."

- Based upon the earlier petition of PETA, the Supreme Court on May 7, 2014, had banned the bull-taming festival.

Agitation

Under pressure from socio-religious outfits across the state, the ruling AIADMK government introduced the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu (TNRJ) Act in 2017. The law, however, was struck down by the top court, which triggered protests across the state.

- Protests rocked Chennai's Marina Beach with students' group and cultural bodies coming out in large numbers to "safeguard the culture of Tamil Nadu".

- The pro-Jallikattu protests reminisced the anti-Hindi agitation of the early 1960s', with a similar anger directed against the Centre.

- The protesters dismissed the argument of PETA, saying the native breed of bull faces a threat if the practice of Jallikattu will be abolished.

- As per the agitators, the farmers would prefer to sell the bulls for slaughter, which in-turn would gradually wipe out the native breed of cattle.

- The protests lasted for a total of 15 days, with nearly 60 people sustaining minor injuries.

Legislation

The protests were quelled after the Tamil Nadu government succeeded in finding a legal solution to nullify the ban imposed on Jallikattu. A special legislation - Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Bill, 2017 was passed in the Assembly.

The Bill exempted bulls from the list of animals protected under the PCA Act of 1960. Although the PETA and CUPA had challenged the legislation at the top court, the judiciary refrained from staying the law.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Jan 16, 2018 11:26 AM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).