Jallikkattu - The Pros and Cons

Jallikkattu (ஜல்லிக்கட்டு), also known as Eru Thazhuvuthal (ஏறு தழுவுதல்) is bull taming sport played around Pongal time in the month of January in many districts across Tamil Nadu. It had been a sport played traditionally to measure and celebrate the courage of young men. Though there are references of the same in Sangam literature (kalithogai - கலித்தொகை and in other places), many of us grew up in the memory of watching it in Sivaji Ganesan's Veera paandiya kattabomman where the protagonist takes a bull to marry his lady love VellaiyammaL.

Well, that is all about a bit of old history. Off late, this has been a very sensitive topic discussed and covered in the media these days. It is quite an emotional topic these days, more emotion invoking than the lesser emotional ones like that of failing rains, farmers' suicides, even demonetization woes.

Back in 2006, an order was passed by Madras High Court, Madurai , on a pettition filed to revive the bullock cart race, also called Rekla race. In another case in the same year, another petitioner, father of a man whose son lost his life in 2005, approached the same court. Taking note of these, an order was issued by single Judge, banning all sort of such bravery 'sports' causing cruelty to animals.

In 2007, a division bench heard the appeal and allowed Jallikattu with conditions related to the health and treatment of the bulls. These conditions include -

• Bulls and owners must register in advance of their participation
• Bull tamers should be tested for alcohol consumption
• Bulls shouldn't be given alcohol or steriods
• Written permission from district magistrate

There were tug of war between animal welfare activists and the people who wanted to conduct the event. State government got permission to conduct the event with 'conditions' mentioned above, in 2012. However, in most places where the event was conducted, the conditions were hardly followed. Not just the safety of the bulls and the tamers, but even the security of the obervers were thrown in thin air. Few watchers of the events were injured as well.

This time, the animal welfare activists collected solid evidence - photographs, video clips, recordings, etc and approached Supreme Court. The organizers of Jallikattu were probably overconfident and failed to make a convincing case. No wonder, the court struck down the events completely.

And now, we have these debates and heated discussions.

Many of us who have seen video clippings of the event being conducted at many places or have been close to observing the events know the shoddy security arrangements for audience. A pathetic barricade which will typically be pushed to its limits by hundreds of people rushing to get a closer look, a lonely bull running for its life an a bunch of young brave fellows running behind it almost causing a stampede among themselves at times.

Not fair to compare with bull fighting arenas of Spain. No offence, but the experience of observing this so called bravery sport can be at best called pathetic, compared to what they do in such events in places like Spain.

Whether it is acceptable or not to conduct this event, I am more convinced now, to say that we are not really prepared to arrange an event to the level that gives a fair observers view, a fair chance for every bull tamer and a fair chance for the bulls as well (not even one event per district can qualify, let alone the multiple village level events).

Indeed I may open a Pandora's box here. Keep your constructive views coming in.