Jallikattu: Two killed, 30 injured during festival in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukottai

Source- indianexpress.com

Two persons were killed and over 30 men were injured at the bull-taming festival Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu’s Pudukottai district on Sunday.

The bull-taming event was coordinated by Tamil Nadu Health Minister C Vijayabaskar and entered the world record for the maximum number of bulls released into the sporting arena. The event saw the participation of 424 tamers and 1,354 bulls – almost double than the previous record.

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami hailed ‘Jallikattu’ as a symbol of the valour and courage of the Tamil people. Although about 2,000 bulls were originally scheduled to be released into the sprawling sporting arena, it could not be completed owing to the paucity of time, the organisers said. “It was the highest number of bulls in a single day,” Vijayabaskar said and added that he was happy to have coordinated the sport of valour of the Tamil people.

“The number of 1,354 bulls that participated was almost double (than the previous record) of 647 two years ago and it is an amazing record for Tamil Nadu,” a Worldkings World Records Union representative said.

Jallikattu, a popular game in Tamil Nadu, involves young men latching on to the hump of bulls. Those who manage to stay put even after the animal makes three jumps is declared a winner.

In 2014, the Supreme Court banned the sport citing animal cruelty and safety issues. The court said, “bulls cannot be allowed as performing animals, either for Jallikattu events or bullock-cart races in the state of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra or elsewhere in the country.” The verdict sparked outrage across the state with its supporters calling the festival a part of Tamil Nadu’s culture.

In 2017, the Tamil Nadu government amended the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and lifted the ban with certain restrictions.