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Hullabulloo Over Jallikattu

Discussion in 'Snippets of Life (Non-Fiction)' started by Balajee, Jan 10, 2017.

  1. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    I have been an animal lover all my life. I keep two dogs and four cats at home. In fact I don’t even watch movies in which animals get killed, even those idiotic movies in which some animals are portrayed as villains. The most horrific scene in the horror movie "Omen" for me was the scene in which a cute Rottweiler, allegedly an agent of devil, gets killed. I never bothered to watch the movie for a second time, even on TV.

    So I must have strong views on the demand for lifting the ban on Jallikattu, the supposedly heroic bull running sport of Tamils that takes place during the Pongal festival right? Well on this let us start from the beginning.

    The first time, I came across the sport was in my fifth standard Tamil textbook in which it was extolled as a showcase of Tamil heroism. The lesson on Jallikattu also outlined the rules of the game. The first one was the bull should not be hurt in any way, second one was it should be confronted from the side and front and not from the rear. And pulling the tail of the poor animal was considered cowardly unbecoming of a heroic Tamil.

    And it is not even a bullfight strictly speaking. It is more a game of speed and skill. The aim of jallikattu was to (Yes was. I don’t know what is its aim now) untie gifts like cash and clothes tied to the neck of running bulls that are roused to anger by loud sounds of drums and wind instruments. No physical attacks on the animal was permitted as it was considered the mount of Shiva. It was also known as Eru Thazhuvudal (embracing the bull). The participants have to hoodwink the bull and not hurt it.

    Traditionally it was not performed in an arena as it is done now for the amusement of tourists. The bulls, mostly huge temple bulls that do nothing but eat and sleep (Kovil Kaalai or Temple Bull is a term used in Tamil to discuss useless people who do nothing useful except to eat and make merry) were let loose on streets to the sounds of loud drums that would enrage the animals. People would watch the show safely from their balconies and windows with only those with enough guts to make a go at the gifts being on the streets.

    But like everything that has become touristy, Jallikattu degenerated too. Just see the poor scrawny creatures in the videos and how people harass them by pulling their tails and nearly 15 to 20 guys jumping on them at the same time. Allegedly the bulls are tortured with chilly powder rubbed into their rear s so that they get enraged.

    Now is that a reason for totally banning the sport?. My view is no. What matters is strictly adhering to the traditional rules of the game. The quality of bulls must be checked and poor , skinny creatures must be kept out. The bulls must be approached only from the sides and front (the latter strictly for the suicidal) . Also the number of people confronting one bull must be limited to five or six, so that some twenty guys don’t jump on the poor animal and hurt it seriously.

    The number of venues must be limited so that they can be easily controlled and the show supervised through CCTV cameras and any infringement of the rules must lead to cancellation of the license to hold the sport at a particular venue. Also any act of cruelty must be punished with heavy fines and rigorous imprisonment.

    In fact supervision must start before the event itself. Before the bulls are sent on the run they must be subjected to thorough medical examination to see whether they have been hurt or tortured in any way to arouse their rage. Only 100% healthy, well maintained bulls must be qualified to participate in the event.

    Is it possible to implement such strict rules? If yes, we can go ahead with the sport, supposedly the pride of Tamils. Otherwise let us say goodbye to it. After all “tradition” is no excuse for holding on to anything Even Sati and child marriage are traditions. Should we hold on to them too?
     
    Last edited: Jan 10, 2017
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  2. umaakumar

    umaakumar Finest Post Winner

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    Dear Balajee,

    Very well said. I too love animals.

    But you say the animal should be inspected much before the actual event to see if it has been harassed in any way. You know very well how our people are, they would grease the hands of the vets to give a clean chit to their bulls.
    So I would say it is best to ban this sport altogether.

    Regards
    Uma
     
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  3. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    Uma I have clearly said if rules cannot be followed strictly the event must be banned. Perhaps that is the best way/
     
  4. stayblessed

    stayblessed Platinum IL'ite

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    Hi

    Jallikattu should never be banned. Instances of cruelty during Jallikattu are extremely rare and the video being circulated in social media is too old and morphed by PETA to spread false rumours. Jallikattu as you have stated has evolved over time and clear rules and regulations are laid stating that if a single blood drop is there then the game would be stopped right there.

    The bulls that win the jallikattu are the strongest ones and are used for insemination which would result in stronger and healthier offsprings. If jallikattu is banned then there will be no takers for our native breeds and that would be the death knell for our bulls which would slowly become extinct. This is the real motive of PETA and all those animal welfare organisations who are behind banning Jallikattu.

    The PETA and the other countries who hide behind PETA - All they want is the extinct of our native breed of strong bulls thereby making us depend on the foreign Jersey cows and increasing their revenue. The milk that we get from our native breeds is thousand times healthier than the ones from Jersey cows.

    Actually the opposite is true. Bulls do not suffer cruelty because of Jallikattu. If Jallikattu is banned then those bulls would not be bought by the farmers and that would only result in the cruelty with the animals being sent to slaughter houses.

    The fact of the matter is, researchers claim that Jallikattu is akin to slaughter. The search dogs in the police force, the horses in the Army…Elephants bound by chains in temples…Imported dogs being kept on a leash and taken for walks on the beach…All these are not forms of animal torture… and Jallikattu is?

    According to a report, just in the year 2011 alone the PETA has killed 602 cats and 1045 dogs. Over 11 years the PETA has killed 30,000 animals and escaped saying they did not have enough money and hence resorted to mercy killing.

    Whatever said and done the PETA must be appreciated in effectively conning people to believe Jallikattu is harmful to animals and succeeded in changing many.

    Thamizhan endru sollada thalai nimirndhu nillada. Reality is it is not even a Tamilnadu's issue this is an indian issue. Our native breeds should survive. Come what may Jallikattu should happen. I support Jallikattu.
     
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  5. GoogleGlass

    GoogleGlass IL Hall of Fame

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    all these PETA mnc agents should first throw their leather accessories and stop eating non-veg and veg too. then let them talk about banning jk.

    killing the native breed is the only agenda.
     
  6. Rajeni

    Rajeni Moderator Platinum IL'ite

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    @stayblessed very well explained. Agree to every word written! To add to that...

    Check HumaneWatch & PETA Kills Animals to know what PETA does to all those animals they saved with so much love!

    And, as @Balajee has rightly mentioned Jallikattu is not a bullfight, instead its bull taming. Its not like the bullfight of Spain where they fight the bull, stab the bull and finally eat it. The bulls that take part in these sports are so much loved and taken care of by their owners (mostly farmers). And, even for the weak bulls, its better to work in farms rather than go to the slaughter houses, dont you think so! If we stop using them in farms, they will loose their purpose and end up in slaughter houses much sooner. Of course, that is the motto - meat import! India stands first in beef import - statistics say!

    And to top it all, SC says "use tractors". Seriously? With the drought conditions and the amount of farmers committing suicide, who is going to donate tractors to the farmers? Govt.? And fuel? our farmers dont even get water! how can they afford fuel to run the tractors? Easier said than done! And, not to mention the added pollution these tractors gonna cause!

    So, the target of Orgs like PETA is to eradicate the native breeds making us completely dependent on Corporate products. After Jallikattu, they are after our elephants - already saw some doctored footage floating, already kambala - the native bull race of Karnataka is in danger and they will come after the Camels of Rajasthan - of course, siting that using them is cruelty and will will suggest an artificial alternative to it, which would again be manufactured and marketed by Corporates!

    But, is only PETA to be blamed? Its our media which is more responsible for the damage than the PETA iteslf! When 20K+ youngsters gather in a state capital for a cause, be it good or bad, will it not make the headlines? Well, it did not! Not even in the local newspapers of the state! And, some papers did cheap tricks reducing the number participated as 5K!
    So, its not about Jallikattu or Kambala for that matter - its about India!
     
  7. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    I don't buy your conspiracy theory but it is not only PETA but local animal organisations who have expressed concern. If it is to be conducted at all Jallikattu should be conducted in limited supervisable venues with rules to protect the bulls and stringent penalty including rigorous imprisonment for few years in case the rules are violated. there is no evidence to prove that jallikattu improves cattle quality.
     
  8. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    PPPPPPPppppppppppppppppppp
    gg THE NATIVE BREED WON'T DIE OUT WITHOUT JALLIKATTU. oFTEN ANIMAL RIGHTS ACTIVISTS CAN BE CONSIDERED CRAZY BUT PETA ACTIVISTS HAVE ALSO RISKED THEIR LIVES TO PREVENT KILLING OF WHALES , FOUGHT AGAINST THE IVORY AND FUR TRADE ETC. tHEY HAVE EXPOSED THE STOCKYARDS IN US TOO. HAVE YOU SEEN THE JALLIKATTU VIDEOS? POOR SCRAWNY BULLS ARE JUMPED UPON BY A DOZEN MEN! THAT LOOKS LIKE CRUEL JOKE TO ME. LET THERE BE STRINGENT RULES AND A STRICT CHECK MAINTAINED OVER HOW THE ANIMALS ARE TREATED IF THE EVENT HAS TO BE CONDUCTED.
     
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  9. Balajee

    Balajee IL Hall of Fame

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    Rajeni as far as the bulls are concerned, picture is not that rosy. There is a well organised racket to smuggle bulls to kerala slaughterhouses. Farmers sell debilitated bulls to Kerala butchers. But Jallikattu must be restricted to healthy bulls and the number of people in the ring must be restricted and no stone should be left unturned to ensure that the bulls are not treated cruelly to provoke and anger them.
     
  10. Ranchu

    Ranchu Local Champion Staff Member IL Hall of Fame

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    I havent read all the posts yet, but came here to vent about this topic as well.

    This is a game that not only hurts animals but also the people who participate. There are men hurled in the air during the speed of the bull. Why do they want to put themselves in harm's way is beyond my small brain ? This decision from Supreme court is for the good of human beings too. Not just the animals.

    Its a supreme court decision which will not be redacted if a person from Paris holds a board ,or someone from USA holds a board . Seems a futile attempt to bring this back.
     
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