Context
In Tamil Nadu right now, the danger lies in the possibility that political elites within the Dravidian parties may empower the more intolerant strand of Tamil identity politics.
Issue: Jallikattu protests
What is Jallikattu?
It is a traditional bull-taming sport organised in Tamil Nadu during Pongal. Also known as Eruthazhuvuthal or Manju virattu, the sport involves a natively reared stud that is set free inside an arena filled with young participants. The challenge lies in taming the bull with bare hands. Ideally, participants try to grab the bull by its horns or tail and wrestle it into submission. A few also tend to latch on to the bull by clinging to the hump at the back of its neck. The participants are usually young men in their 20s.
Areas
The practice dates back to as far as 2000 years ago, according to a few historical accounts. It mainly was active in the districts of Madurai, Tiruchirappalli, Theni, Pudukkottai and Dindigul of Tamil Nadu until its ban in 2011
What do Jallikattu organizers have to say?
Organisers of the event argue that it is closely associated with village life and the bulls are specially reared for this purpose. Breeders often claim they treat the bulls like their own children and spend large sums of money towards their upkeep. Many participants, however, are either fatally gored, trampled or mauled by the bull
- Jallikattu essential to preserving biodiversity: They claim that as a key event of Mattu Pongal, jallikattu is essential to preserving the indigenous bull species, a way of life in rural, pastoral Tamil Nadu, and is indeed a celebrated feature of Tamil identity itself, described as it is at several points in the cherished Sangam literary tradition.
Animal rights groups and Animal welfare board of India’s stand
- Bulls subjected to torture: Animal rights organisations such as the Animal Welfare Board of India and the People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) that the Bosindicus bulls used in jallikatu are subject to cruelty, are physically and mentally tortured for human pleasure, and the sport is thus directly in contravention of the POCA. This appears to be borne out by a plethora of photographic and video evidence, some of it available on the YouTube channels of the aforementioned animal rights groups.
Author’s contention
The argument of biodiversity preservation doesn’t constitute a full and consistent defence of jallikattu, for that reasoning does not address the charge of animal cruelty
Nature of protest
Author points out that the nature of agitation and mob led violence indicates that the movement is being fomented by political interests.
Conclusion
Author concludes by stating that local parties should assume leadership of the movement as a failure to do so shall leave a huge space for separatist Tamil identity politics to take ground
Read More:
1). Why SC banned Jallikattu? Read about it here
2). Demands by protestors. Read it here
