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Tamil Nadu: On Wednesday, an official said that at a Jallikattu venue, two people were gored to death by bulls at Sivaganga district of Tamil Nadu. One of the two dead included a boy. According to the police information, the tragic incident at Siravayal near Madurai did not happened during the Jallikattu event, but after the run when the bull owners had gathered to collect their animals.
The boy identified as Ravi, 11-year-old and another a 35-year-old man died during the event. According to the information, 70 other injured in the incident. On Wednesday in the presence of District Collector Asha Ajit, Constituency MP Karti P Chidambaram and DMK Minister Periyakaruppan, 271 bulls and 81 bull tamers participated in the event held.
About this incident police said that the bulls ran helter-skelter and the victims were gored to death by separate animals. He added a total of 186 bulls were part of this Jallikattu event that is still underway. This contentious bull-taming activity, integral to Tamil Nadu’s cultural practices during the Pongal festival, has been a focal point in numerous legal disputes and discussions.
Despite the controversies, it remains a widely practiced sport in the state, where the victor is determined by the duration a tamer manages to hold on to the hump of the bull. The incident raises question marks on the safety measures in place for the bull-taming sport.
This event is going on in Alanganallur, considered the capital of Jallikattu. At least 60 people were injured in Palamedu in Madurai district yesterday. Safety norms mandated by the Supreme Court include double barricading of the entire area and steps to ensure that no animal injures the spectators. Injuries have also been reported from other Jallikattu venues.
Traditionally played in several parts of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival, Jallikattu has been the subject of heated debates and protracted legal battles for years now. As per information provided, a total of 2,400 bulls and 1,318 tamers have been registered for Avaniapuram Jallikattu, 3,677 bulls and 1,412 tamers for Palamedu Jallikattu, and 6,099 bulls and 1,784 tamers for the Alanganallur event.
Jallikattu, a traditional bull-embracing sport, is popularly played in Tamil Nadu during the Pongal harvest festival in the second week of January. Animal rights organisations have called for a ban on the sport, citing a risk of injury to both the participants and the bull. However, any move to prohibit the sport has sparked widespread protests by its supporters.
2014, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on Jallikattu, but in 2017, the Tamil Nadu government passed an ordinance to permit the event, introducing regulations to ensure the safety of participants and bulls. The court stated in its order that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 “substantially minimises cruelty to animals in sports”.
Following strong protests against the ban, the Supreme Court of India upheld the Tamil Nadu government’s law allowing Jallikattu in May 2023. A five-judge Constitution bench heard petitions challenging laws in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra allowing Jallikattu and bullock cart races. The Act includes several measures to ensure the welfare of bulls, such as requiring them to be properly fed and watered, and prohibiting the use of any sharp objects or chemicals on them.
The Tamil Nadu government defended the event, asserting its cultural significance, and argued there was no cruelty involved in Jallikattu competitions. At Jallikattu events, a raging bull is released into a crowd. Multiple participants then try to grab its hump and hang on to it in their attempts to being the animal to a stop. Prizes such as cars, bikes and gold coins are up for the grabs at many of these contests.
