Buckling under pressure, the Supreme Court on Tuesday allowed Jallikattu, a bull taming event organised during the harvest festival of Pongal in Tamil Nadu, after banning it four days ago.
A three-judge bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan, Justices R V Ravindran and J M Panchal permitted the “bullfight” in about 400 villages of Madurai region under the strict supervision of the district administration.
Reviewing its order pronounced by a two-judge bench, the court said, “The government authorities shall take all precaution that the animals are not tortured. There would be no cruelty on the animals. No liquor, no injury to any of the bulls.”
The Animal Welfare Board of the district would be permitted to record the bullfight.
The court asked the authorities to follow strictly the 12-point guidelines submitted by the state authorities during the bull fights in the villages.
Additional Solicitor General Gopal Subramanium appearing for Tamil Nadu submitted that the religious sentiments of the people had been hurt due to the ban of the jallikattu, as it was a festival observed to propitiate the deities of every village.
Seeking review of the earlier order, Mr Subramanium said, “There is a belief that if the bullfight is not organised, there will not be a good harvest next year.”
They were temple bulls and coins were tied to its horns as symbol of wealth. People try to pluck the coins from the horns of the bulls to keep them as symbol of prosperity, said Mr Subramanium, adding that the common people would not be allowed this time to touch the bulls.
Advocate K K Venugopal, who appeared for the petitioner— Animal Welfare Board— opposed the lifting of the ban, said, “It is extremely unfortunate that the state government has been pleading for the sport which perpetuates cruelty on animals.”
“The bullfight is not possible without cruelty of animals. If there is no torture, bulls would not run amok. Cruelty to animals is a criminal offence under the Prevention of Cruelty Act, 1960,” Venugopal said.
Jallikattu is a traditional sport associated with the Pongal harvest festival and is said to date back to the 3rd Century AD.
