JALLIKATTU ISSUE - POLITY
News: SC
backs TN position on Jallikattu
What's in the news?
● The Supreme Court
Constitution Bench has upheld the amendments made by Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra,
and Karnataka to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.
● The
decision overturned a previous verdict that banned practices such as
Jallikattu, a traditional bull-taming sport.
Key takeaways:
● The
court rejected the 2014 verdict of the Welfare Board of India v. A. Nagaraja
case that deemed Jallikattu incompatible with animal rights.
● The
Constitution Bench emphasized that Jallikattu has been a part of Tamil Nadu’s cultural
heritage for at least a century.
Jallikattu Backdrop:
● Pongal
is a harvest festival in Tamil Nadu, celebrated with thanks giving for a
bountiful harvest and rituals honoring cattle.
● Jallikattu, a bull-taming
event, is an integral part of the festival and
showcases the strength and skill of farm hands in southern Tamil Nadu.
Constitutional provisions conserving cultural
practices:
● Article 29(1)
of the Constitution states that “any section of the citizens residing in the
territory of India or any part there of having a distinct language, script or
culture of its own shall have the right to conserve the same.
● Articles 51-A (g) and
51-A (h) impose duties on Indian citizens to
protect the environment and develop a scientific temper, humanism, spirit of
inquiry, and reform, respectively.
● Article 48
urges the state to endeavour to organize agriculture and animal husbandry on
modern and scientific lines.
Significance of Jallikattu:
1. Native breed conservation:
● According
to its protagonists, it is not a leisure sport available but a way to promote
and preserve the native livestock.
2. Cultural significance:
● Jallikattu
has been known to be practiced during the Tamil classical period (400-100 BCE)
and finds mention in Sangam texts.
3. Man-animal relationship:
● Some
believe that the sport also symbolizes a cordial man-animal relationship.
4. Agrarian pride:
● It
represents a cultural infirmity to urban modernity that marginalizes rural and
agrarian values.
Issues with Jallikattu:
1. Human deaths:
● The
event has caused several human deaths and injuries and there are several
instances of fatalities to the bulls.
2. Manhandling of animals:
● Animal
welfare concerns are related to the handling of the bulls before they are released
and also during the competitor’s attempts to subdue the bull.
3. Cruelty to animal:
● Practices,
before the bull is released, include prodding the bull with sharp sticks or
scythes, extreme bending of the tail which can fracture the vertebrae, and biting
of the bull’s tail.
4. Animal intoxication:
● There
are also reports of the bulls being forced to drink alcohol to disorient them,
or chilli peppers being rubbed in their eyes to aggravate the bull.
Tradition and culture
should be considered in the right discourse, recognizing the cultural context
of practices like Jallikattu. Engagement and negotiation between animal rights
advocates and local culture and tradition are necessary for a balanced approach.