Activists want 'jallikattu' banned

Despite strong reservations from animal rights activists, jallikattu — the sport of taming bulls by hanging on to their humps as they charge down an arena or alley — was held in full flow in Madurai, Trichy and Pudukottai districts of Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal festivities under stipulations of the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009.

Though Vijayan, 25, was gored to death on Friday at Palamedu in Madurai, participants turned up in large numbers for the event on Saturday.

Blue Cross of India, along with Animal Welfare Board of India, had approached the court seeking a ban on jallikattu. “How can any person show valour by torturing oneself and others?” its secretary, Sarswathi Haksan, said.

The Society for Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (SPCA), too called for a ban on such a “barbaric” sport. “I feel sorry for such acts of heroism,” SPCA secretary S Natana Rajan said.

The village youth, however, have a different take. “In cities, the youth have various sports. But in villages jallikattu is one such event where we can show off our prowess. And injuries can happen in any sport,” staunch jallikattu enthusiasts Prabhu and Raghu said amidst cheers from their friends.