Jallikattu and Judgment

The Supreme Court has revealed two significant verdicts today that influence a lot in Tamil Nadu. One was to allow raising the water level of Mullaperiyar dam to 142 feet which was refused by Kerala government so far. There had been difference between the two states over the safety of the dam, while Tamil Nadu contended the dam was safe and its water level had to be raised from 132 feet to 142 feet, Kerala maintained that the dam was weak and needed to be replaced. Kerala has repeatedly asserted its right to enact a law regulating the safety of dams in the state, insisting that the river rises and falls in Kerala which is why it is an intra-state issue. The SC had reserved its verdict, last year, on the legal battle between the two state governments over the dam and as per committee appointed by court has revealed that the dam was safe.

Another verdict the SC has delivered today was, prohibiting the practice of the traditional martial game of bull taming in Tamil Nadu, called Jallikattu. Following Madras High Court’s ban for the sport few years ago, the issue was taken to the Supreme Court where a batch of petition has comes to final disposal now, as the SC had already noted once that Jallikattu was nothing but a sport inflicting massive cruelty to animals, but allowed it under stringent condition on vehement request by the Tamil Nadu government. The animal welfare activists are up in arms against Jallkattu for past several years and wanted to ban the age-old sport has acquire great relief now and of course every animal lover and who hate inhumanity.  

I too support the verdict and anything against animal or nature need to be prohibited.  But my only thought and worry was, what will happen to those bulls, which are grown specifically for the sports if the game was prohibited. The bulls that are used in the Jallikattu are belonging to the Pulikulam breed of cattle, which are reared in huge herds numbering in hundreds with few cowherds tending to them.  In this world only things that are in use and useful survives and once the need for them has gone we slowly lose their ground. I guess the world famous Kangeyam bulls are in edge of endanger list and soon the work for the Jallikattu bulls is invisible, sure their name will be added to endanger list. What I think was, even they struggle at least they survive being so. If we stop all activates involved by cattle, they have no hope of survive, and they are practiced to work along with humans and if we can’t who can support them well. I wish the bulls strength is used in a remarkable way, without giving them trouble.

P.S. Above is a painting I done on Jallikattu (a scene of bull catching) haft a decade back and thought it would be apt to add with this post.