Jallikattu

Why in news?

• The Supreme Court has upheld amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Karnataka and Maharashtra to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, to allow the traditional bull-taming sports of Jallikattu and Kambala, and bullock-cart racing.

About Jallikattu:

• Jallikattu is a traditional sport that is popular in Tamil Nadu.
• The sport involves releasing a wild bull into a crowd of people, and the participants attempt to grab the bull's hump and ride it for as long as possible, or attempt to bring it under control.
• It is celebrated in the month of January, during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal.

Legal Interventions:

• In 2011, the Centre added bulls to the list of animals whose training and exhibition is prohibited.
• The Supreme Court banned Jallikattu through a judgment in 2014 in the Animal Welfare Board of India vs A. Nagaraja case on the grounds of cruelty to animals.
• In 2016, the Ministry of Environment and Forests permitted the continuation of the tradition under certain conditions, effectively ending the ban.
• However, the Supreme Court of India issued a stay on this order, upholding the ban, after a petition filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India and PETA India, leading to protests all over Tamil Nadu.
• In January 2017 the Tamil Nadu legislature passed a bill, exempting Jallikattu from the Prevention of Cruelity to Animals Act (1960).
• In 2018, the Supreme Court referred the Jallikattu case to a Constitution Bench, where it is pending now.

Other Animal Sports:

• Kambala:
  • Kambala is an annual buffalo race held in Karnataka.
  • Traditionally, it is sponsored by local Tuluva landlords and households in the coastal districts of Dakshina Kannada and Udupi, a region collectively known as Tulu Nadu.

PRACTICE QUESTION:

Consider the following statements:

1. Jallikattu is practiced in Tamil Nadu as a part of Pongal celebrations.

2. Kambala is an annual buffalo race held in Karnataka

Which of the statements given above is/are correct?

(a) 1 only

(b) 2 only

(c) Both 1 and 2

(d) Neither 1 nor 2

Answer