Bulls not harmed or physically tortured during jallikattu: O Panneerselvam
Chennai: With just a few days to go for Pongal, Chief Minister O. Panneerselvam Mondaydashed off a letter to Prime Minister Narendra Modi demanding immediate promulgation of an ordinance “removing legal impediments” to ensure conduct of jallikattu, the traditional bull taming event.
Jallikattu is usually conducted on the second day of Pongal festivities — Maatu Pongal — that falls on January 15 (Sunday) this year in Alanganallur and other parts of Madurai district and elsewhere in southern Tamil Nadu. The event was not held in 2016 and 2017 after the Supreme Court in May 2014 banned jallikattu.
Though the Union Government issued a notification in January 2016 that allowed conduct of jallikattu, the Supreme Court struck down the order immediately. In the letter on Monday, the Chief Minister spoke in detail about jallikattu and the place it has found in the Sangam Era literature.
“Given that Pongal festival, which holds great importance to the people of Tamil Nadu, is less than a week away and jallikattu is an integral part of the Pongal festivities, considering the urgency of the issue, the Government of India should consider promulgating an ordinance removing the legal impediments, enabling the conduct of jallikattu during Pongal, 2017,” he said in the letter.
Mr Panneerselvam also said there was “groundswell of sentiment and support” for the conduct of jallikattu across the state. Recalling the efforts made by his predecessor J. Jayalalithaa in ensuring that jallikattu is conducted every year during Pongal, the Chief Minister said the Supreme Court has reserved the judgment in the case relating to jallikattu.
He reminded the Union Government of the Tamil Nadu Government's demand to denotify bulls as “performing animals” and suitably amend Section 11(3) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960 by introducing a new clause specifically exempting Jallikattu in addition to other exemptions already provided in the Act.
“Jallikattu is inextricably linked to rural, agrarian customs and has religious significance, with families donating bulls to temples in fulfillment of vows. Jallikattu also addresses the cause of conservation of native germplasm since bulls with excellent physical attributes are reared. Further, bulls are not harmed or physically tortured during jallikattu,” the CM said in the letter.
