What is Jallikattu, the bull-headed sport, which has injured over 50 in Tamil Nadu just this year?
Known as a 'traditional spectacle', the sport of Jallikattu is organised in several parts of southern India, particularly in Tamil Nadu despite a ban by the Supreme Court of India.
Madurai: As many as 57 people have been injured so far as a result of this year's first Jallikattu season. A traditional spectacle which enjoys patronage across Tamil Nadu and Kerala among other states, Jallikattu was banned by the Supreme Court of India on May 7, 2014. However, the sport is organised in full public view with people from all over the country flocking to Madurai and Ariyalur to witness it.
A little over a fortnight since the festival was first organised at Ariyalur in Tamil Nadu, a report by Times of India claims that more than 50 people have been admitted to local hospitals in Madurai for Jallikattu-related injuries. What is even more surprising is that the Madurai administration has reportedly enrolled all participants in a mandatory life insurance scheme.
What is Jallikattu?
Also known as 'manju varattu', Jallikattu is a traditional sport where a bull, particularly of the Pulikulam or Kangayam breed, is released into a crowd of participants. Contenders then have to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both their arms and hold on as long as they can. The bull, meanwhile, attempts to break free from the grip of the participants. The objective of the spectacle is to remove the maximum number of flags tied at the bull's horns while holding on to its hump. Those who come out of the arena victorious get awards ranging from gold coins to electronic appliances and even two-wheelers.
Why is it not banned yet?
While the use of bulls as performing animals was banned following a notification from the then Ministry of Environment and Forests in 2011, the Supreme Court imposed a ban on Jallikattu in 2014. In light of widespread protests in Chennai and other parts of Tamil Nadu, the state Governor introduced an ordinance in 2017 authorizing the continuation of the sport. The ban was followed by a bipartisan bill passed in the state legislature.