The Supreme Court on Tuesday set August 30 as the final date of hearing, to decide on the constitutional validity of jallikattu.
However, the apex court made it clear that it won’t accept the state’s argument of the sport being a tradition saying, "In 1899, ten thousand girls below 12 years of age were married. Should we allow it today because it was a tradition at that time? The mere presence of tradition can't justify practices.”
The court added that the matter was a "constitutional and statutory issue" and whether it was permissible under law, needed to be looked into.
Background
The controversial bull taming sport was banned in May 2004 by the top court, as it said bulls could not be used as performing animals, either for Jallikattu or for bullock-cart races.
However, the Narendra Modi-led government lifted the ban with certain restrictions. In a notification issued on January 7, 2016 by the Ministry of Environment and Forests, the exhibition and use of bulls as performing animals for jallikattu and bullock-cart races was allowed under certain conditions.
But just days ahead of Pongal festivities in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court in January accepted the plea of animal rights groups against conducting Jallikattu, and issued a stay on the sport being conducted this year.
Jallikattu also known as Eruthazhuvuthal, is a bull taming sport played in Tamil Nadu as part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day.
All political parties of the state had promised to lift the ban in their manifesto in the recently held assembly elections.