29 Hospitalised After Getting Injured During Jallikattu Event

Chennai: Jallikattu, the popular but risky bull-taming sport of Tamil Nadu, has taken a heavy toll.

At least 29 people were injured while participating in Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukkottai. They have been admitted to Thanjavur Medical College for treatment.

Also known as Eruthazhuvuthal, the controversial Jallikattu is played as part of Pongal harvest festival.

The event got underway in a vast open ground with hundreds of young men taking part with great enthusiasm. As bulls are released into the sporting arena one after the other, the participants vie with each other to tame and dominate the animals.

Jallikattu, banned by a court in 2006, was legalised again by the state through an amendment in 2017.

Animal rights groups, led by People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), challenged this potentially dangerous sport in Supreme Court.

However, the top court upheld the validity of the traditional bull-taming sport and bullock cart races in May last year.

In its order, pronounced by a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph, Supreme Court held that the states’ acts were legally valid and directed states to strictly ensure the safety and protection of animals under the law.

The order said that notwithstanding the cruelty involved in Jallikattu, it can’t be termed a blood sport as nobody is using any weapon and the blood may only be an incidental thing. Also, though cruelty may be involved in the sport, people don’t take part in the event to kill the animal, the court said.

This was contrary to the 2014 Supreme Court judgment, which held that bulls can’t be used as performing animals either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races, and banned their use for these purposes across the country.