Come Pongal and once again Jallikattu has come into the news and if elections are around the corner the debate is guaranteed to be heated one.
In 2014, SC banned this sport which is played in Tamilnadu with bulls; citing it against the "Protection of Animals against Cruelty Act 1960", against the Article 51(g) which states that we must preserve and protect the forest,rivers,lake,animals and also against Article 21(Right to Life).
Animal Welfare Board of India has given detailed report about this extravaganza to MoEF as how the torture and pain is given to bull in the name of false bravery. As per AWBI, in this game coins are stacked to the horns of the bull and participants have to fight to get the coins from there, leaving bull and themselves into dangerous tussle. Bulls are intoxicated through mouth, given chemical into their eyes and much more.
Considering all the points mentioned above, it does seem to be fit for this game to be banned. But the supporters of this game have projected it as the breach of their culture and traditions which SC has rightly mentioned in its order:" Pride of TN is not inflicting pain to bulls(animals) but to save them". As the participants and major people involved in anyway to this sport form a decisive portion of TN electorally, this issue has been exemplified politically too. Recently TN government has requested center to either bring a legislation or an ordinance in order to remove the ban on which center too has responded with "Positive Note".
The supporters have also cited the example of bull fighting of Spain as a point to continue this in TN also. It seems foolish to draw an inspiration from an established wrong. But even if it has to draw, they should know that even in Catalonia a state in Spain has banned this sport in 2012 after a much heated debated has surfaced about "Culture and Right". Germany had gone a step further in 2002 and has given the animals constitutional protection.
Therefore any attempt to revisit this order would be disastrous both from PAC Act and Right to Life provision enshrined in our constitution. There can not be any logic of why this sport should be continued which put people's live both as participants and spectators as well as animals themselves, into danger.
Culture and traditions would be better served if we save and protect our animals rather than use them for the sake of our entertainment and false bravado.
No comments:
Post a Comment