Jallikattu
The ancient sport of Jallikattu pits crowds of young men against angry bulls who will tear anyone apart, if they get in the way. The name of the sport comes from the words “salli”, which translates as “coin”, and “kadu”, which means tying the coin to the horns of the raging bull. The goal of Jallikattu players is to tame the bull long enough to claim the prize.
But that’s is a lot harder than it sounds, especially since the bulls used for Jallikattu are extremely aggressive, and the players aren’t allowed to defend themselves with anything else but their bare hands. The bravest of the young men will try to grab the hump of the bull, and hang on, while the beast will most often grab him with its long horns and plunge him into the ground.
In ancient times, Jallikattu was used by kings, to test their potential son-in-laws. Whichever of the players managed to tame the bull, would win the princess’ hand. Nowadays, prizes consist of money, gold chains, watches and motorcycles. If none of the would-be bull tamers manage to ride it into submission, the prize goes to the bull owner.
But that’s is a lot harder than it sounds, especially since the bulls used for Jallikattu are extremely aggressive, and the players aren’t allowed to defend themselves with anything else but their bare hands. The bravest of the young men will try to grab the hump of the bull, and hang on, while the beast will most often grab him with its long horns and plunge him into the ground.
In ancient times, Jallikattu was used by kings, to test their potential son-in-laws. Whichever of the players managed to tame the bull, would win the princess’ hand. Nowadays, prizes consist of money, gold chains, watches and motorcycles. If none of the would-be bull tamers manage to ride it into submission, the prize goes to the bull owner.
Tens of thousands of participants and onlookers gather whenever a Jallikattu game is scheduled, and most of the times hundreds of them end up in the hospital, with serious injuries, and some of them lose their lives.
A centuries old tradition, in the Tamil Nadu region, Jallikattu was banned in 2008, following accusations that the bulls are fed alcohol and chili is sprayed in their face, to make them more aggressive. The ban was later removed, but the animals are now checked by a team of veterinarians, before Jallikattu.
Source
A centuries old tradition, in the Tamil Nadu region, Jallikattu was banned in 2008, following accusations that the bulls are fed alcohol and chili is sprayed in their face, to make them more aggressive. The ban was later removed, but the animals are now checked by a team of veterinarians, before Jallikattu.
Source
Please take action!
Politely ask MoEF to enforce Jallikattu ban
Per the Ministry of Environment and Forests' notification in The Gazette of India, bulls can no longer be used as performing animals.
This means an end to the cruel "sport" of Jallikattu, in which terrified bulls are kicked, punched, jumped on, dragged to the ground and otherwise tormented. Despite this notification, however, the Tamil Nadu government has shockingly permitted jallikattu events to continue to be held in Madurai.
Recent PETA investigations at five Jallikattu events documented that bulls were tied so tightly it caused them severe discomfort and pain, were hit with fists, had their tails twisted and pulled, were jumped on and were wrestled to the ground. Not only is jallikattu cruel to animals, it also poses a threat to public safety. In one four-day period in January 2011, 215 people sustained injuries during jallikattu events. Of these, 154 were spectators. Two people died.
We would like to thank the Ministry for implementing the ban. Now, it is time for the Ministry to make sure that the ban is enforced immediately.
You Can Help
Please help by writing to the Ministry to Environment and Forests. Thank officials for banning the use of bulls as performing animals and ask them to enforce the ban.
Please click HERE! to be directed to the website of PETA where you can send your protest mail with just a few clicks.
Thank you!
This means an end to the cruel "sport" of Jallikattu, in which terrified bulls are kicked, punched, jumped on, dragged to the ground and otherwise tormented. Despite this notification, however, the Tamil Nadu government has shockingly permitted jallikattu events to continue to be held in Madurai.
Recent PETA investigations at five Jallikattu events documented that bulls were tied so tightly it caused them severe discomfort and pain, were hit with fists, had their tails twisted and pulled, were jumped on and were wrestled to the ground. Not only is jallikattu cruel to animals, it also poses a threat to public safety. In one four-day period in January 2011, 215 people sustained injuries during jallikattu events. Of these, 154 were spectators. Two people died.
We would like to thank the Ministry for implementing the ban. Now, it is time for the Ministry to make sure that the ban is enforced immediately.
You Can Help
Please help by writing to the Ministry to Environment and Forests. Thank officials for banning the use of bulls as performing animals and ask them to enforce the ban.
Please click HERE! to be directed to the website of PETA where you can send your protest mail with just a few clicks.
Thank you!
Jallikattu 2013
A bull died after he was hit by a bus at Madurai
More pictures of Jallikattu 2013 are compiled in the following link
January 15, 2013 via Deccan Herald - Demanding a ban on jallikattu, the bull-taming sport of Tamil Nadu, animal rights advocacy group PETA today claimed a bull died after it was hit by a bus at Madurai yesterday when it ran frantically away from the venue after participants chased it.
People for Ethical Treatment of Animals also claimed that bull-taming, a signature event held in Madurai and nearby areas as part of the harvest festival Pongal, was being held in violation of court guidelines with the animals being "tortured" and "provoked".
"Inspectors authorised by Animal Welfare Board of India report that during the jallikattu held at Avaniyapuram in Madurai yesterday, a bull died from head-on collision with a moving bus because of the absence of a contained collection area for bulls," a PETA statement said.
This was in "violation" of the Madurai bench of the Madras High Court guidelines, that were intended to regulate jallikattu, it said.
The bull had met with the accident after running frantically away from jallikattu participants who had been "chasing and deliberately agitating the animal," it said.
"Other panicked bulls also ran from the jallikattu area on to the main road in the midst of oncoming traffic.
The inspectors reported that no veterinarians could be found at the scene of the death and also witnessed cruelties, such as a person biting the tail of a bull, other people poking bulls with knives and twisting their tailbones and organisers poking and beating animals with wooden sticks and forcing fluids, likely liquor, down the bulls' throats," it alleged.
Holding that Supreme court guidelines on proper barricading were also "flouted", PETA demanded Chief Minister J Jayalalithaa's intervention in banning the sport, "since it puts both animals' and people's lives at risk."
For more on this year’s Jallikattu:
Participants rubbed irritant in bull's nose and eyes!
Jallikattu participants forcibly rub an irritant into a bull's eyes and onto his nose in order to disorient him.
Please sign the petition to urge the authorities to stop Jallikattu NOW!
Please sign the petition to urge the authorities to stop Jallikattu NOW!