Jan. 16 (Bloomberg) -- India's Supreme Court allowed a bull- taming event held during the harvest festival in Tamil Nadu state to go ahead after banning it last week as ``barbaric.''
A bench of Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice J.M. Panchal yesterday permitted the event, known locally as ``Jallikattu,'' in about 400 villages around Madurai under the supervision of the district administration.
The authorities will take all precautions to ensure ``that the animals are not tortured,'' the court said after reviewing the earlier order pronounced by a two-judge bench. ``There would be no cruelty'' to the animals and they shouldn't be injured, the court instructed.
The move comes after the southern state of Tamil Nadu sought the removal of the ban on the grounds that the restriction hurt religious sentiments. The event was meant as an offering to the village deities, the Tamil Nadu government's advocate Gopal Subramanium told the court.
``There is a belief that if the bull fight is not organized, there won't be a good harvest next year,'' Subramanium said.
The event involved temple bulls with coins tied to their horns as a symbol of wealth, he said. Competitors would seek to snatch these coins to keep them as a symbol of prosperity, Subramanium said. There would be no threat to public safety during the event, the state government's advocate said.
The lifting of the ban was opposed by the Animal Welfare Board, represented by advocate K.K. Venugopal.
`Cruelty to Animals'
``It is extremely unfortunate that the state government has been pleading for a sport which perpetuates cruelty to animals,'' Venugopal said in court. The event is not possible without cruelty to animals, he said. ``If there is no torture, bulls would not run amok.''
Cruelty to animals is a criminal offence under the Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1960, Venugopal said.
The court asked the district authorities to strictly follow the 12-point guideline submitted by the Tamil Nadu state authorities and also said that the district Animal Welfare Board will be allowed to record the event.
The court ordered that the event be recorded in all 400 villages, so that a report could be filed by the administration to the court after the festival was over.
The court observed that the cow and the bull were revered as sacred animals in the country.
To contact the reporter on this story: P.S. Patnaik in New Delhi at indianews@bloomberg.net .
Tuesday, January 15, 2008
Saturday, January 12, 2008
http://www.tribuneindia.com/2008/20080113/main5.htm
Chennai, January 12
The Supreme Court ban on “jallikattu”, the sport to tame wild bulls, has already been defied in a remote village in southern Tamil Nadu and the police today registered a case against the organisers, while the state government has decided to file a review petition in the apex court tomorrow as it is practically impossible for it to implement the order.
With sentiments running high and thousands of people in the 11 districts in southern Tamil Nadu ready with around 2,500 bulls to organise “jallikattu” on the occasion of Pongal, the harvest festival in the state, the ruling DMK is in a quandary.
The state government does not have such a huge police force to prevent thousands of people from taking part in the centuries-old sport and at the same time following the court ruling cannot remain a mere spectator too.
As such, the state government has decided to send a team of legal experts and officials along with reports about the ground reality and attempt to prevail upon the apex court judges to review their directive and issue a fresh one which might allow holding of the popular event with some restrictions.
According to the police, organisers of “jallikattu” in Soorakudi village in Sivaganaga district, 650 km from here, were booked today for violating the Supreme Court ban within hours of it being passed yesterday.
The event in which many bulls from adjoining districts also participated was held yesterday afternoon and winners were also awarded prizes though the organisers had furnished an undertaking to the local police that they would not host “jallikattu”, which means a bagful of money. In fact a bag of money is usually tied on the neck of the wild bulls during the sport.
Organisers of the game felt that their views had not been properly represented before the Division Bench of the Supreme Court headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balachandran and the fact that the bulls were not tortured and like in bull fight in Spain the animals were not pierced with sharp weapons and ultimately killed.
They pointed out that following an order by the Madras High Court last year, the game was held and all bulls were examined by veterinary surgeons before the event to ensure that the bovines had not been intoxicated with “arrack”, a local brew to make them more ferocious.
All political parties have also urged the state government to ensure that the Pongal celebrations passed off smoothly and described the court ban as an “affront to Tamil culture and identity”.
http://www.ndtv.com/convergence/ndtv/story.aspx?id=NEWEN20080038364
Saturday, January 12, 2008 (Guwahati)
While the Supreme Court has banned a bull sport in Tamil Nadu, Assam prepares for the State's biggest buffalo duel, a cruel and dangerous show of strength and honour.Bihu is celebrated with fervour in Morigaon district of Assam and buffalo fight is a high-point of the festival there.The tradition apparently comes down from the days of Ahom Kings. Last year filmmaker Gautam Baruwa was also there to shoot it.Barua said, ''Its very dangerous to shoot this film but people cooperated and the district administration also helped us. People here say they want to retain the culture of the Ahom days.''Describing the sport Barua said, ''During Bihu they believe that buffalos are the most ferocious and can be made to fight. Often there are horrible accidents, buffalos die and people die. The owners have died, its very dangerous.''There have been some feeble attempts to ban the fight and may be the SC can look eastward now after the bull sport ban.
Saturday, January 12, 2008 (Guwahati)
While the Supreme Court has banned a bull sport in Tamil Nadu, Assam prepares for the State's biggest buffalo duel, a cruel and dangerous show of strength and honour.Bihu is celebrated with fervour in Morigaon district of Assam and buffalo fight is a high-point of the festival there.The tradition apparently comes down from the days of Ahom Kings. Last year filmmaker Gautam Baruwa was also there to shoot it.Barua said, ''Its very dangerous to shoot this film but people cooperated and the district administration also helped us. People here say they want to retain the culture of the Ahom days.''Describing the sport Barua said, ''During Bihu they believe that buffalos are the most ferocious and can be made to fight. Often there are horrible accidents, buffalos die and people die. The owners have died, its very dangerous.''There have been some feeble attempts to ban the fight and may be the SC can look eastward now after the bull sport ban.
Friday, January 11, 2008
http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/south_asia/7182491.stm
India outlaws 'cruel bull sport'
The sport is fast and dangerousThe Indian Supreme Court has banned a version of bull fighting popular in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Jallikattu is an annual festival celebrated in two villages near the temple town of Madurai. The sport is said to be thousands of years old.
In jallikattu contestants do not try to kill the bull. But animal rights campaigners still say it is cruel.
The sport has also become increasingly dangerous. Every year dozens of people are injured and many are killed too.
Organisers say bullfighting is a sacrosanct Indian tradition, mentioned in the ancient scriptures.
They say the sport has existed for more than 2,000 years and is an integral part of Tamil culture.
Grappling with bulls
In prohibiting jallikattu, the Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, said "any event which involved cruelty to animals would not be permitted".
Hundreds of bulls are released one at a time into a large open space for the fights, which are held during the annual harvest festival known as Pongal.
Contestants and spectators are often in danger
Contestants have to try to get close enough to the bulls to grab prizes and valuables tied to their horns. That often involves grappling with the animals.
Defenders of the sport say the bulls are only "tamed", rather than killed, so that participants can help themselves to the prizes.
As the bull-taming does not take place in a stadium, those taking part and spectators are often injured as the animals hurtle into the crowd.
Last year one person was killed during the festival. In 2005, five people died and more than 200 were injured during the fights.
Authorities say that although new safety measures are taken every year, the number of wounded continues to rise.
India outlaws 'cruel bull sport'
The sport is fast and dangerousThe Indian Supreme Court has banned a version of bull fighting popular in the southern state of Tamil Nadu.
Jallikattu is an annual festival celebrated in two villages near the temple town of Madurai. The sport is said to be thousands of years old.
In jallikattu contestants do not try to kill the bull. But animal rights campaigners still say it is cruel.
The sport has also become increasingly dangerous. Every year dozens of people are injured and many are killed too.
Organisers say bullfighting is a sacrosanct Indian tradition, mentioned in the ancient scriptures.
They say the sport has existed for more than 2,000 years and is an integral part of Tamil culture.
Grappling with bulls
In prohibiting jallikattu, the Supreme Court bench, headed by Chief Justice KG Balakrishnan, said "any event which involved cruelty to animals would not be permitted".
Hundreds of bulls are released one at a time into a large open space for the fights, which are held during the annual harvest festival known as Pongal.
Contestants and spectators are often in danger
Contestants have to try to get close enough to the bulls to grab prizes and valuables tied to their horns. That often involves grappling with the animals.
Defenders of the sport say the bulls are only "tamed", rather than killed, so that participants can help themselves to the prizes.
As the bull-taming does not take place in a stadium, those taking part and spectators are often injured as the animals hurtle into the crowd.
Last year one person was killed during the festival. In 2005, five people died and more than 200 were injured during the fights.
Authorities say that although new safety measures are taken every year, the number of wounded continues to rise.
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