CROSSBREEDS OR FOREIGN BULLS CANNOT BE USED FOR PARTICIPATION IN "JALLIKATTU", ONLY NATIVE BREEDS OF BULLS CAN BE USED - MADRAS HC

The Madras HC directed that crossbreed bulls cannot be used for participation in “Jallikattu”; only native breeds of bulls can be used for the sport. The 2017 Tamil law itself aims to protect the native bull for the sport and, therefore, there is no need for hybrid bulls to participate. 

The court further made it compulsory for the bulls to be subjected to an examination by a qualified veterinarian of the animal husbandry department so as to certify the bull to be of a native breed. If any qualified veterinarian falsely certifies, it would violate the court order and result in contempt of court. 

The Bench of Justices N Kirubakaran and P Velmurugan remarked that artificial insemination deprives bulls of the pleasure of mating, which they are naturally entitled and such denial amounts to cruelty. 

A petition was filed before the court regarding the prohibition of foreign breed bulls and crossbreed bulls in Jallikattu, Vadamanjivirattu, Oormadu and Manjuvirattu. The petitioner argued that only native breeds have a hump on their back large enough for the “tamer” to hold during Jallikattu. Using non-native bulls can result in something dangerous, and such bulls have a tendency to crush players on fields. 

The Court agreed with the petitioner’s stance observing that authorities cannot be allowed to use foreign or crossbreeds when the 2017 Tamil Nadu's 2017 law does not permit the same. The bench compared photographs of native and non-native bulls to point out humps and concluded that non-native bulls do not have a large hump and are dangerous to participants. 

Author: Papiha Ghoshal