All of Tamil Nadu is up in arms over the ban on the traditional Jallikattu sport.
What happens during Jallikattu is that a bull, which has been caged for a while, is released into a crowd – much like the bull run in Spain. While some in the crowd rush to get out of the bull’s path, others try to catch it by the hump and hang on.
Only one person is allowed to hang on at one time. If the person manages to cross a pre-determined distance, he wins a prize. If he falls off, the bull wins. The bull then goes on to become the preferred stud in the village for servicing cows which may come into heat later in the year.
The Prize
Participants are tested for alcohol and other stimulants for their safety. Bulls used for this sport are treated like prize boxers – with supplemented diets and adequate care to ensure their strength.
Bulls are provided the best diets and are put through a carefully designed fitness regime to ensure that they put their best hoof forward when the time comes. Bull owners train their animals to win, with an eye on the money they hope to earn every time the winning bull is made to impregnate a cow in heat.
Villagers and onlookers compare performances and decide which bull would be best for their cows. Young boys who participate study different ways of hanging on to the bull, with the aim to retrieve the prized Jallikattu (package of coins) which is traditionally tied to the bull’s horn.
“Tamil People Are Sticklers for Rules”
It must be reiterated that the bull owners have a lot at stake in protecting the bull. Pulling the tail, goading or unnecessarily inciting the bull in any manner is not permitted.
Those who understand the Tamil people know that they are sticklers for rules with an advanced and humane culture. Whether it is art, culture, discipline, or economic growth, Tamil Nadu is among the best Indian states.
Of course, one can expect some rash occurrences of injuries, even deaths, and some instances of animal mistreatment, but over a large state, over many years, these are the exception and certainly not the rule.
Other Traditional Festivals
Let’s look at other traditional festivals in India.
Every Diwali, we hear reports of blindness and deaths. Faulty crackers sometimes cause accidents. Manufacturing of firecrackers takes place in small spaces, using child labour and is done under sub-optimal safety conditions. Entire sheds blow up at times.
Holi festivities can often prove deadly for women travelling alone in north India. There have been reports of women being accosted and groped, often by inebriated males, under the guise of celebration.
Does this that mean we ban these festivals? What about banning boxing, all forms of fighting where people get hurt? How absurd would that be?
Jallikattu Encourages the Nurturing of the Male Calf
The very purpose of Jallikattu is not to harm the bull or the human being, unlike the Spanish version where the bull is goaded and killed.
In most of rural India, when a cow gives birth, a female calf is welcomed with glee. Males are considered a burden as they will neither give milk nor produce offspring in the future.
There is a long gestation period before they start ploughing the fields and have to be fed without return until then.
The practice of Jallikattu encourages the nurturing of the male calf, with special care, for an income stream and prestige in the village. In fact, it prevents the owner from sending the animal off for slaughter just days after its birth.
“Ban Jallikattu Where They Don’t Follow the Rules”
It looks like the people of Tamil Nadu feel the same way. They have come out in huge numbers across caste, religion, gender, age groups and political party lines. They have actually taken leaves from banks, offices and government jobs to express their unhappiness at the ban.
All decisions must be subject to a review especially when a large section of people have reservations against it and cogent arguments exist on either side. We live in a dynamic world where the old always gives way to the new.
Cruelty must be stopped and safety must come first. Let us execute restrictions to eke out and penalise instances where people do not follow the spirit of Jallikattu and endanger the animal and themselves. Let us ban Jallikattu in areas where they do not follow the rules.
A blanket ban would be tantamount to banning all motor cars just because a few of them have accidents.
(The article was written in a special arrangement with IANS. The author hung up his corporate boots a few years ago and now farms roses and organic vegetables near Hyderabad. The views expressed are personal. He can be reached at salimdavid01@gmail.com)
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