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Supreme Court ban still in place, Centre allows Jallikattu and bullock cart racing

Modifying the 2011 notification, which prohibited use of bulls as performing animals in exhibitions, the union environment ministry has made an exception and allowed the use of bulls in events such as Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

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Bull tamers and bull owners celebrate the Central governments order of removal of ban on Jallikattu at Alanganallur in Madurai on Friday
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Notwithstanding a 2014 Supreme Court order that banned the controversial bull-taming sport of Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, the Union environment ministry on Friday allowed the sport to be organised during the upcoming Pongal festival through modifications in a 2011 notification. Besides allowing Jallikattu, the Union environment ministry also gave a go-ahead for bullock cart racing in Maharashtra, Kartnataka, Punjab and Haryana.

The Centre's decision to allow Jallikattu has been largely viewed as a hugely populist move with the Tamil Nadu assembly elections around the corner. In the past few months, members of Parliament from Tamil Nadu, political parties and even the state Chief Minister J Jayalalalitha had impressed upon the Centre to rekindle the traditional sport that is popular in rural parts of the state.

Modifying the 2011 notification, which prohibited use of bulls as performing animals in exhibitions, the union environment ministry has made an exception and allowed the use of bulls in events such as Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu.

While introducing certain caveats, the modified notification said, "In case of Jallikattu, the moment the bull leaves the enclosure; it shall be tamed within a radial distance of 15 metre." It also added that Jallikattu events and bullock cart rates have to be duly monitored by the district society for prevention of cruelty to animals and state animal welfare board to prevent unnecessary pain or suffering.

Animal welfare organization People for Ethical Treatment of Animals who fought the legal battle to ban the sport has strongly criticised the Centre's move and plans to challenge it in SC. The NGO had gone to court on the grounds that Jallikattu is inherently cruel to bulls that are made to suffer in harsh sun before the festival begins and are injured while being tamed.

The Centre's move has also swept aside strong reservations expressed by the Animal Welfare Board of India that recently urged the union environment ministry to not revoke the ban on Jallikattu on bullock cart races.

Speaking on the Centre's decision, Dalit leader D.Ravikumar, general secretary, Viduthalai Chiruthaigal Katchi said, "Centre has discovered a way to bypass SC's orders to satisfy the aspiration of a section of the people. Why don't all the political parties who came together to demand lifting the ban on Jallikattu in the name of Tamil culture also do this for larger social issues like common crematoriums?"
 

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