Madurai: Jallikattu bulls are heading for slaughterhouses. Several owners are contemplating ‘panic sale’ of their bulls following the Supreme Court ban on the ‘sport of valour’ after animal rights activists alleged that it hurt the animals, according to P. Rajasekaran, president, Tamil Nadu Jallikattu committee here.
“We have been raising these bulls only for the purpose of Jallikattu. We spend a lot of money on their feed and training. There is no other use for the bulls; they cannot be used in the fields as tractors have replaced animals long time back. And there are no more any bullock carts on the roads,” he said, explaining the ‘crisis’.
He said the specially prepared muscular bulls were earlier sold at the sandhai (weekly market) for prices ranging between Rs 50,000 and 'one lakh to be run in the jallikattu at any of the 175 government-notified venues across the state. “But now there is panic after the court ban on our traditional sport. I heard that Gandhi of Alanganallur took his bull to the Vaadipatti santhai today and sold it for Rs8000. He broke down saying he cannot afford to feed his bull anymore,” Rajasekaran told this newspaper.
Jallikattu bull owners say that the buyers at the santhai (local market) would invariably drive the animals to the slaughterhouses in Kerala.
“About 50 bulls were traded at Manapparai market (Trichy district) just today.
They will all move to Kerala tomorrow. It would be nice if the animal rights activists also take up the issue of the butchers and their agents transporting the bulls and buffalos in over-crowded trucks in such terrible conditions that some of the animals even die in transit,” said Rajasekaran.
He said while the court ban had cast a spell of gloom on the Jallikattu players, there was still hope that the sport would be restored “because all the political leaders, led by the chief minister, have opposed the ban.”
