Supreme Court Verdict Today On Pleas Challenging Law Allowing Bull-Taming Sport 'Jallikattu'

The Tamil Nadu government, during hearing, had defended 'Jallikattu' and told the Supreme Court that there was no cruelty on the bulls.

Men attempt to tackle a bull as they participate in the annual bull-taming sport of Jallikattu in Madurai

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The Supreme Court on Thursday will pronounce its verdict on a host of petitions challenging Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra governments' laws allowing the bull-taming sport 'Jallikattu' and bullock cart races. Last year in December, a five-judge bench of Justices KM Joseph, Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravi Kumar reserved its verdict on the matter, 

Jallikattu is a traditional bull-taming sport that takes place during the Pongal festival. Considered to be a sport and a cultural symbol by some sections, it has also been the subject of controversy due to the risk of injury to both bulls and participants.

Jallikattu was banned by the Supreme Court in 2014. But the Tamil Nadu government passed an ordinance in 2017 and, again, in 2019, to allow jallikattu. 

READ | Jallikattu: Authorities To Take Strict Measures For Preventing Fatalities

During the hearing, the Tamil Nadu government had defended 'Jallikattu' and told the Supreme Court that there was no cruelty on the bulls. "This is an incorrect notion that an activity, which is in nature of a sport or entertainment or amusement, cannot have a cultural value," the state had said.

The petitioners had argued that the law permitting these races does not prevent cruelty and are contradictory to objective of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.

The Tamil Nadu government asserted that bulls involved in 'Jallikattu' were maintained by farmers around the year and cited examples of countries like Peru, Columbia and Spain where bullfighting is considered a part of their cultural heritage.

Senior advocate Shyam Divan, representing one of the petitioners, had said jallikattu was a blood sport. However, the bench questioned how it could be a blood sport as people were participating with bare hands.

"Just because death occurs, it doesn’t mean that it is a blood sport. We do not think anybody going there to embrace a bull wish to see blood. They use no weapon. People are mounting the bull with bare hands," the bench had said.

The bench added, "Even mountaineering is dangerous. People die while climbing mountains, so do we stop people from climbing mountains? You cannot stop the adventure spirit in man."