Chennai: Animal Welfare Board of India will continue to implement the ban on jallikattu as specified by the Supreme Court and the board will not yield to political pressure, confidential sources with AWBI and the union ministry of environment and forests told DC.
When asked about the recent promises made by Union minister of state for road transport Pon. Radhakrishnan exuding confidence to Tamil Nadu villagers that jallikattu will be held during 2017 Pongal, informed sources admitted that there is a tremendous political pressure on the Union ministry seeking a few notification changes to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, particularly with the performing animals section.
The AWBI and the Union ministry are on the same page: Jallikattu will be a thing of past, sources confirmed. “We do not want to go into state politics, but as per the PCA act, bull taming event is a cruelty and the ban will continue,” sources added.
MoEF’s next course of action is to regulate the pet industry and have a monitoring set of rules for dog breeders. The draft rules with PCA Act was notified in the gazette on December 16 and the draft rules will soon become a reality after analysing the objections and the advantages, sources said.
When contacted, Animal Welfare Board of India vice chairman Chinny Krishna said the board will continue to oppose jallikattu and will ensure that the apex court’s recent order and observations are implemented in letter and spirit.
It may be noted that last month, the Supreme Court bench comprising justices Dipak Misra and Rohinton Nariman described the act of “taming a bull” to perform in an event is a violation as per the PCA Act.
