Chennai: A section of office-bearers attached to the Animal Welfare Board of India in Chennai and animal activists in Tamil Nadu feel that the AWBI board in Delhi and the union ministry of environment and forests had gone to the Supreme Court on Wednesday challenging the new TN jallikattu law passed without consulting them.
Highly placed sources in AWBI told DC, that the decision to challenge the new jallikattu law passed by the Tamil Nadu Assembly was taken by the top brass on board without consulting TN office-bearers and activists here.
When contacted, AWBI vice chairman S. Chinni Krishna said, “I don’t have any first hand information on the decision taken by the board in challenging the new Act in the Supreme Court. We are not consulted on the latest developments,” he quipped.
When asked about jallikattu protests and the public movement, he said that everyone has a right to protest. By and large, it was a peaceful protest, but hijacked by vested interests and fringe elements during the last few days. “However, I am glad that actor Kamal Hassan has spoken in favour of the need for animal rights in a civil society.”
“With the state and the Centre seem to be going ahead with the jallikattu event in Madurai and other southern districts, animal activists in the state feel that more guarantee and safety measures should be implemented, so that there are no objections to the jallikattu, promoted as a religious and cultural event of Tamils”, said Arun Prasanna of People for Cattle in India. We are okay with jallikattu, but the state and the organisers should ensure that there is no untoward incient.
Further, the bull tamers should be insured so that the deceased families are financially taken care, he said, adding that the death of two people during the recent jallikattu events went unnoticed.
