Jallikattu
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Ramu was owned by V Santhosh from Virudhunagar who had to give the bull to Kannan in 2011. Kannan, who had the bull for another four years, could not sustain its maintenance and upkeep which can be between `3,500 and `5000 a month for feed alone. | Ramu was owned by V Santhosh from Virudhunagar who had to give the bull to Kannan in 2011. Kannan, who had the bull for another four years, could not sustain its maintenance and upkeep which can be between `3,500 and `5000 a month for feed alone. | ||
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Revision as of 23:46, 9 November 2016
This is a collection of newspaper articles selected for the excellence of their content. |
Contents |
Jallikattu in brief
Jallikattu: Bull- taming sport
Jallikattu is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal (mid-January) celebrations on Mattu Pongal day. A seal from the Indus Valley Civilization depicting the sport is preserved in the National Museum.
The term jallikattu comes from the term calli kacu (coins) and kattu (meaning a package) tied to the horns of the bulls as the prize money. Later days during the colonial period this evolved to jallikattu which is the term currently used.
Bull owners whose animal cannot be subdued by the 'tamers' during jallikattu rejoice when the game is over. Successful bull-tamers walk away with gold and silver coins, cupboards, grinders, mixies, wire cots, mobile phones, utensils and bicycles.
Thus, as in cricket where bowlers try to get batsmen conceding as few runs as possible, and batsmen try to score as high as they can without getting out, in jallikattu those who try to tame the bulls are like the batsmen, trying to score high. Those whose bulls could not be tamed are like the bowlers, trying to concede as little as possible.
One major centre of the sport is Alanganallor village, about 424 kilometers (264 miles) south of Chennai. Palamedu, about 434 kilometers (269 miles) south of Chennai is another. Annually, jallikattu is held from January to July, played first in world-famous Palamedu, near Madurai on January 15 followed by "Alanganallur-jallikattu" in Alanganallur, near Madurai on 16 January.
Special galleries for the spectators are erected at alanganallur in Madurai district. Preparations for jallikattu take several weeks
The bull often tries to charge towards the human participants in the sport
Injuries and even deaths occur in jallikattu. Participants and spectators have to scramble for safety when a bull charges towards them during Jallikattu. Bulls also charge at each other.
In 2004, at least 5 people were reported dead and several hundreds injured in various villages. Two hundred have died over the past two decades. Unlike in Spanish bullfighting, the bull is not killed. There are rarely any casualties suffered by the bulls. Several animal activists object to this dangerous game every year, but so far these objections have been in vain.
The calves that are chosen to become jallikattu bulls are fed a nutritious diet so that they develop into strong, sturdy beasts. The bulls are made to swim for exercise. The calves, once they reach adolescence are taken to small jallikattu events to familiarize them with the atmosphere. Specific training is given to vadam manju virattu bulls to understand the restraints of the rope. apart from this, no other training is provided to jallikattu bulls. Once the bulls are released, then instinct takes over.
Bulls that run out of the area stray into villages and get lost after the event.
Jallikattu looms large in the art of the area. On a wall opposite the Madurai collectorate there is a semi-traditional painting of two men trying to tame a bull as many spectators look on..
TRADITION OF SPORT
ORIGIN
Jallikattu has been around for over 400 years. The event was recorded in ancient literature as ‘yeru thaluvudal’ (hugging the bull). Initially, it was a ceremony to select a bridegroom — the successful tamer would get to marry the maiden.
NAME
The name jallikattu is derived from the word ‘salli’ or ‘kasu’ meaning coins and ‘kattu’ meaning bundle/pouch. The pouch, made of yellow cloth, filled with coins, is tied to the bull’s horns. The tamer gets the pouch.
WHY DURING PONGAL
On 3rd day of the four-day-harvest festival, people offer prayers to bulls, cows and other farm animals and then play the customary bull-taming sport. They believe that not playing the sport will displease local deities, including lord Muniswara.
DISTRICTS
The biggest jallikattu, at Alanganallur, has the tourism department’s patronage. The event also takes place in Avaniapuram and Palamedu of Madurai district and in some villages in surrounding districts like Pudukottai, Tiruchirapalli and Thanjavur.
Terrified bulls flee the arena: GPS to track them, A/C vans to coax them
GPS to track jallikattu bulls
V Mayilvaganan,TNN | Jan 12, 2014 The Times of India
MADURAI: After losing several bulls that ran out of jallikattu arenas over the years, bull owners have now turned to technology to ensure they don't lose their prized animals. Now, a GPS gadget attached to the bulls will help their owners track them on an Android mobile phone.
A group of bull owners from Sivaganga and Trichy will use the GPS equipment, which will be tied around the bulls' neck, when they enter the jallikattu arena. With the bulls costing between Rs75,000 and Rs2.5 lakh, their owners are not ready to take chances.
Jallikattu bulls run into villages, fields or adjoining forests. Dozens of bulls that ran away to the forests adjoining villages in Sivaganga have now become wild and can't be caught. Some bulls have strayed and fallen into wells and drowned.It takes at least 10 people to search them and for many days. At the end there is no guarantee that they will be found, say the joint secretary of Jallikattu Pathukappu Kuzhu; and the state secretary of Veera Vilayattu Pathukappu Peravai
The bull owners have bought eight gadgets for (Rs?) 8,000 (each?) and have planned to buy more after studying the effectiveness at Alanganallur jallikattu during Pongal.
The bull owners plan to approach the Animal Welfare Board of India and state animal husbandry department for permission.
An airconditioned caravan was organised to take the bulls for jallikattu competitions. The caravan will also have a monitor connected to the blue tooth gadget on the bulls.
An animal husbandry department official said they would have to consider some factors before giving the device the nod. "We have to see if the gadget affects the animals' behaviour, the official said.
Jallikattu organisers and animal rights activists have been at loggerheads with the latter moving courts in the past to ban the event. At present, jallikattu, perceived as an expression of their cultural tradition by peasant communities, are allowed only after the organisers follow stringent conditions meant to ensure that the animals are not ill-treated.
2008: SC lifts ban on Pongal bullfight
TN wins battle as SC lifts ban on Pongal bullfight
Dhananjay Mahapatra | TNN January 16, 2008 The Times of India
New Delhi: In a major reprieve to the Tamil Nadu government, Supreme Court on Tuesday reversed its ban and allowed the bull-taming race of ‘jallikattu’ during Pongal festivities this year after the state promised that the animals would not be tortured and steps would be taken to prevent injuries to participants.
However, the court resented the DMK government’s tactics in seeking reversal of its January 11 order, in which it had refused to lift the ban on ‘jallikattu’ terming it as barbaric and inhuman as bulls were tortured, administered chilli powder and local brew to make them charge in an enraged state. The SC did point out that the DMK-led government’s recourse to invoking the religious sentiments of for seeking lifting of the ban did present an obvious contradiction in terms of the Dravidian party’s outright rejection of the “faith” argument in the Ram Setu case. The controversial Sethusamudram project is being also being heard by the SC.
The state’s main argument was that a ban on the 400-yearold traditional event would hurt people’s religious sentiments. But it did not forget to mention that if the ban order was not reversed, people would defy it.
Citing intelligence reports, it said: “In most villages, the people have decided to defy the Supreme Court order and to go ahead with the celebration of ‘jallikattu’ as usual.... This situation would create a major law and order problem in many places during the Pongal festival.”
Appearing for the state, additional solicitor general Gopal Subramaniam tried to focus only on the sentimental issue while distancing himself from the matter contained in the state’s application. But the court’s radar picked up the seriousness of the flaws in the state’s arguments.
“We do not approve of the reasons given by the Tamil Nadu government to seek modification of the January 11 order,” a Bench comprising Chief Justice K G Balakrishnan and Justices R V Raveendran and J M Panchal recorded in its order while permitting holding of ‘jallikattu’ under strict supervision of the district authorities to prevent torture to animals and injury to participants. The invoking of religious sentiments also invited terse comments from the court, which is also adjudicating the controversy relating to the Sethusamudram Channel Project involving dredging of Ram Setu. After the Centre’s affidavit questioning the basis of Ramayan and Lord Ram kicked up a furore, the TN chief minister had also sought to doubt that Ram ever existed.
The Bench said: “We do not know why the TN government is invoking religious sentiments. We wonder what would be their stand in another case pending before us. We do not want to specify which case.” It was crystal clear that the Bench was referring to Ram Setu controversy.
What clinched the issue for the state was Subramaniam’s insistence that the local administrations of each district under the collector had prepared a blueprint under which all animals would be certified by the veterinary staff that they were fit to be allowed to run and that they had not been tortured. Adding a few more ‘don’ts’ to the list of guidelines already put in place by the state government, the Bench said if all these were strictly adhered to the bulls would not be enraged to run in the earmarked arena and would only walk through it.
“If all the safeguards recorded in the order are strictly implemented, there will be no charm left in ‘jallikattu’ as the bulls would only walk through the running arena,” the Bench said.
2016: Centre allows jallikattu
“Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, bullock cart race in Maharashtra, Kambala in Karnataka and some sort of race using bullocks in Punjab have been traditionally and culturally practiced for centuries. We want to respect that but also ensure that there should be no cruelty ,“ environment minister Prakash Javadekar said on Monday .
These events involving animals will be permitted to continue “for some time“, he said. Jallikattu, also known as `Eruthazhuvuthal', is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of Pongal celebrations. The Supreme Court had banned using bulls for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country and directed governments and the Animal Welfare Board of India to take steps to prevent infliction of unnecessary pain or suffering on animals.
Central, southern districts celebrate
The Times of India Jan 11 2016
TIMES NEWS NETWORK
Final Word Is Yet To Be Heard But Bull Owners, Tamers Gird Up Their Loins With Just A Week To Go For The Scheduled Events
Rural regions in the central and southern districts erupted in celebrations as soon as news spread that jallikattu will be conducted this Pongal. People took to the streets with their jallikattu bulls and distributed sweets. “Today is the real Pongal for us as we have been desperately waiting for a positive announcement,“ said V Srinivasan, owner of five jallikattu bulls at MelaKondayamPettai village near Thiruvanaikaval in Trichy district. Said Satish, a jallikattu enthusiast from Milaguparai, “The government has shown a way to ensure that jallikattu is conducted this year. But we insist on a permanent solution so that the sport can be celebrated ever year.“ Bull owners in Madurai district are speeding up preparations. Although many jallikattu events take place across the district, Alanganallur, Palamedu and Avaniyapuram are particularly famous for the sport. Though jallikattu was banned, bull owners say they have not been taking it easy . The bulls have been undergoing strenuous training to hone up their strength and stamina; tamers say everything is in the hands God. “We just bank on Him and enter into the ring and he will take care of our lives.“ One has to be daring as well as adept to successfully tame a bull. “It would not happen all of a sudden. You have to spend years together from childhood closely with bulls in order to learn the nuances,“ a B Sakthivel, a bull tamer. For many bull owners, the animal is like a family member. “I have two children, but I love my bull Karuppasamy more. I have caned my children, but not my bull.Usually the jallikattu bulls are pledged to God and we consider them sacred,“ says Dhana Kumar, a resident of Manickampatti near Palamedu in Madurai district. However, there was an undercurrent of concern that there was not much time left for preparations. Bull owners and tamers say the usual spirit will be missing at this year's event. Prizes to winning bull tamers as well as bulls are an important aspect of the jallikattu event. These range from motorcycles on rare occasions, gold coins, bicycles, steel almirahs, bronze utensils and even sheep and goats. The prizes are announced to wild cheers from thousands of spectators gathered at the venue. The organisers usually start collecting donations much earlier.Those who cannot afford to contribute cash would give away their goats and sheep. “Last time we collected around `15 lakh and prize items. We started reaching out to people well in advance.This time it would be an achievement if we manage to collect `10 lakh,“ said P KarthigaiRajan of the PalameduPodhuMagalingaMadathu Committee that organises the sport. Bull tamers and owners do not attach much importance to prizes. They say they would venture into the ring with pride even if there is no prize. PETA TO MOVE SC Animal rights organisation People for The Ethical Treatment of Animals (PeTA), which has been at the forefront of the campaign against jallikattu, on Friday said it would challenge the Centre's decision to permit the bulltaming sport in Supreme Court. The Supreme Court had on May 7, 2014 banned the ancient sport. PeTA India CEO PoorvaJoshipura vowed to continue their fight to protect bulls from cruelty
Jallikattu on in Andhra, TN despite SC ban
The Times of India, Jan 17 2016
What SC ban? Jallikattu on in Andhra, TN
Thousands of villagers in Chittoor district of Andhra and some 60 “tamers“ in a village in Trichy, Tamil Nadu, participated in jallikattu on Saturday despite the Supreme Court ban. Andhra police, who had issued notice to the organisers, were mere spectators as revellers chased bulls in half a dozen villages. They said it was just a “cattle festival where animals were decorated“.
Anbil village defies SC order, hosts jallikattu
The Times of India, Jan 17, 2016
K Sambath Kumar
Tamil Nadu village defies SC order, hosts jallikattu with 65 bulls
Defying a Supreme Court ban, Anbil village near Lalgudi in Trichy district organized a jallikattu morning with 65 bulls and 40 tamers. The nearest police station, about 10 km away, turned a blind eye as villagers gathered in the square called MariammanThidal, and cheered the participants as they tried to "tame" the bulls. The event is said to have started at 10am and went on until noon. The village has been organizing the bull sport for more than three decades. The bulls were brought from several neighbouring villagers and kept ready a couple of days ahead of the event. About 600 villagers gathered at the venue where the event was organized by village heads
November 2016: Why cruelty to animals: SC to Centre
The Hindu, November 10, 2016
Why import a Roman-type gladiator sport, asks SC
The Bench said even if argument was that Jallikattu was a "sport," it was a "cruel" sport and cruelty to animals was prohibited by the law. Asking why bulls should be made to suffer for the entertainment of humans, the Supreme Court has pulled up the Centre for trying to “import a Roman-type gladiator sport” despite a judgment clearly banning Jallikattu as a cruelty and crime to animals.
“Can bulls be contemplated for entertainment of human mind? Bulls are supposed to rest, why should they race,” a Bench of Justices Dipak Misra and Rohinton Nariman tested the legality of the Centre’s January 7 notification permitting Jallikattu.
Cruel sport
The Bench said even if argument was that Jallikattu was a “sport,” it was a “cruel” sport and cruelty to animals was prohibited by the law.
When senior advocate Shekhar Naphade, for Tamil Nadu, said when humans ran marathons, why could not bulls be part of a sport.
“Humans have free will, bulls are forced into it,” Justice Misra replied.
The court called for compassion to animals, saying it was our constitutional obligation, while posting the matter for further hearing on November 16.
In defence of Jallikattu, the Tamil Nadu government had highlighted how there was nothing wrong in farmers practising Jallikattu in the semi-arid regions of the State if the Spanish Senate could in 2013 declare the “far more cruel” sport of bull-fighting a cultural heritage.
The Supreme Court had on January 12 stayed the January 7 notification on a challenge from NGOs like Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations.
The notification by the Ministry of Environment and Forests had allowed the exhibition and use of bulls as performing animals for Jallikattu and bullock-cart races despite an express ban from the apex court in a judgment in 2014.
In its turn, the NDA government too had invoked tales from the Mahabharata to urge the Supreme Court to lift its ban on the “ancient sport” of Jallikattu, arguing that it was good for maintaining bio-diversity.
The Ministry claimed that Jallikattu “encourages breeding of indigenous bulls.”
The Centre had toed Tamil Nadu’s line that Jallikattu was not mere organised entertainment but an “age-old tradition practised for time immemorial.”
“You say that Jallikattu is an age-old tradition, so was child marriage until it was declared a crime,” Justice Misra had retorted then.
The court had said it was not here to consider the nuances of practices and tradition but to look into the constitutionality of the January 7 notification.
The 2014 Supreme Court judgment had termed Jallikattu “inherently cruel” and specifically held that no regulations or guidelines should be allowed to dilute or defeat the spirit of a welfare legislation like Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960 and constitutional principles. If so, the Supreme Court should strike them down without hesitation.
The judgment had already laid down that a court’s duty under the doctrine of parents patriae was to take care of the rights of animals, since they were unable to take care of themselves as against humans.
The judgment had classified the bull as a draught animal not meant for running but sedate walking under the Prevention of Cruelty to Draught and Pack Animals Rules, 1965.
The economics
The Times of India Jan 11 2016
Sambath Kumar & Rachel Chitra
TNN
The name jallikattu comes from salli kassu (coins) that were tied to the bull's horns as prize money for the victor. Ironically , the sport is actually labour-intensive and a drain on financial resources.
While it takes much of a bull owner's income to raise these native breeds, he hardly stands to gain materially if his bull goes untamed, except the prizes worth a few thousands he collects. The same is the case for bull tamers. What fascinates the youth is the pride of owning a bull and being known as a valorous bull tamer.
“A bull that was untamed in the previous jallikattu is looked upon with high anticipation as an announcement is made over its ferocious nature. Wild cheers from the gathering when attempts are made to tame such bulls drive the bull tamer to risk his life,“ says Mettupatti Moorthy (31), who has been participating in this sport for ten years and has undergone four major surgeries after getting injured while taming bulls.
“While motorcycles are the costliest prizes so far, televisions, fridges, gold coins, cattle and household utensils too are given to successful bull tamers and bull owners,“ president of the Alanganallur Jallikattu Committee Sundarrajan said. For S Palani, a small-farmer from Palamedu in Madurai district, jallikattu is coming at the cost of his daughter's education.“I wanted to enroll my daughter in an engineering college because she got good grades,“ he said.
Virumaandi: the bull
The Times of India Jan 11 2016
Rachel Chitra
Ramu, the jallikattu bull in the Tamil film Virumaandi was once abandoned by its owner, who went bankrupt following the ban on the sport. After changing hands, Ramu was headed for the slaughterhouse before he was providentially rescued by the Cattle Care Welfare Trust in Coimbatore.
Currently a resident of the Vellinviri Goshala along with 206 other Jallikattu bulls and 10 `rekhala' bull racers, Ramu and others will have a less sedate life with the lifting of the ban.Since his rescue from the slaughterhouse at Aviniyapuram in February , Ramu has been called Virumandi or the Avaniyapuram Kalai.
Twenty years old, Ramu is still a sight to behold and stands at an impressive 14 hands (1.42 m) and weighs 1,200kg. With his massive horns, the `karuppu mayil' (his coat colour) is still a raging tornado, says his caretak ers at Vellinviri. “He has a bad temper and does not let any strangers come near. He does not mind tossing up the boys just for fun,“ A Niza muddin, trust president, says.
Ramu was owned by V Santhosh from Virudhunagar who had to give the bull to Kannan in 2011. Kannan, who had the bull for another four years, could not sustain its maintenance and upkeep which can be between `3,500 and `5000 a month for feed alone.
