Teen spectator gored to death in Madurai Jallikattu

A 19-year-old Jallikattu spectator was gored to death and 25 others were injured at Tamil Nadu's Madurai on Monday.

The incident took place at the Palamedu village, a famous Jallikattu venue in Madurai district. S Kalimuthu (19), a native of Sanarpatti in Dindigul district, died after he was gored by a bull near the bull collection point where the bovines gather after completing their run across the arena.

This is the first Jallikattu related death this year. Last year, as many as 24 persons, including 15 spectators, were killed across the state.

The incident, which took place despite a double barricade separating the arena from the gallery, has raised questions about public safety.

On Tuesday, Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami and his deputy CM O Panneerselvam will inaugurate the famous Alanganallur Jallikattu, where bull tamers and bull owners would get cars as prizes. In the Jallikattu event held at Avaniapuram on Sunday, as many as 79 persons were injured.

Jallikattu, a traditional sport in which young men try to tame bulls, marks the harvest festival Pongal.

The sport remained banned following a Supreme Court order in May 2014, before the state government last year brought an ordinance to facilitate its conduct at the height of a massive protest held at Marina Beach in Chennai and several other places across the state.

As Jallikattu turned out to be a fight between animal rights activist and Tamil cultural nationalism, an eerie silence now prevails in the state over the loss of lives in the traditional sport.

The Palamedu Jallikattu, which saw the participation of around 1,000 bulls and hundreds of sportsmen, was inaugurated by State Revenue Minister RB Udhayakumar.

Attractive prizes, including gold coins, were given away to the winners. Similarly, the owners of the bulls that successfully ducked sportsmen and remained unconquered were also rewarded. Tight security arrangements had been made with the deployment of 1,200 police personnel. The sport was held in the presence of the members of the Animal Welfare Board of India and other officials.