The Madras High Court on Thursday, September 1, ordered the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that only bulls of native breeds are allowed to participate in jallikattu events and not foreign or hybrid bulls.
Hearing a petition for an order to allow only native breed bulls to participate in jallikattu — a bull taming sport played especially during Pongal festival — the court ordered the state government to ensure that only bulls of native breeds participate in the event.
The petitioner E Seshan urged the use of native breeds like Eruduthu Viduthal, Vadamadu, Ooramadu among other native bulls instead of foreign, cross or hybrid breed bulls for the jallikattu event conducted in several districts of the state from January during the Pongal festival, every year.
Justice P Velmurugan further ordered the state government to encourage bull owners and farmers to take good care of the bulls by providing them necessary incentives and subsidies for bull caretaking.
The court also warned veterinarians of severe action such as contempt of court and departmental action if they issued false certificates for hybrid or imported breeds, certifying them as native breeds in order to make them participate in jallikattu.
The Justice Velmurugan bench also underlined the Prevention of Cruelty of Animals Act 1960 and said that the government should ensure that no artificial insemination is done on the animals. This will deprive them of mating which will amount to animal cruelty under the Act.
The court also noted that in connection with conducting the jallikattu event, a legislation was enacted in 2017 with the sole purpose of preserving the native breeds. Also, since imported breeds do not have high humps as opposed to native breeds, they are unsuitable for jallikattu events where the player must hold the hump and tame the animal, the court observed.
Welcoming the court order, P Rajasekhar, President of the Jallikattu Pathukappu Peravai, told IANS: "Nearly 99% of the bulls that participate in jallikattu are of native breed. There may be one or two foreign or mixed breeds. Such bulls will not be caught by the players and are allowed to run away."
With IANS inputs