Jallikattu Supreme Court: The Supreme Court will pronounce its verdict today on petitions challenging laws allowing traditional sports of Jallikattu and bullock cart races in Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra. A five-judge constitution bench of Justice KM Joseph, Justice Ajay Rastogi, Justice Aniruddha Bose, Justice Hrishikesh Roy and Justice CT Ravikumar can pronounce the verdict. The single judgment will be pronounced by Justice Aniruddha Bose, according to the cause list published on the Supreme Court website.
“Jallikattu”, also known as “Eruthazhuvuthal”, is a traditional bull-taming game played in Tamil Nadu as part of the Pongal harvest festival.
Several petitions have been filed before the apex court, including one by animal rights body People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA), challenging a state law that allowed taming of bulls in Tamil Nadu. The game was allowed. The top court had earlier said that the petitions against the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 needed to be decided by a larger bench as they involved substantial questions relating to interpretation of the Constitution.
Case transferred to larger bench
In 2018, a bench of Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justice RF Nariman said that the petitions challenging the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 needed to be decided by a larger bench as there were substantial issues relating to interpretation. Questions are included. of the constitution.
The bench framed five questions to be decided by the larger bench.
What did SC say on Jallikattu
The apex court had said that despite the brutality involved in “Jallikattu”, it cannot be called a blood sport as no one is using any weapon and the bloodshed can only be an accidental one. It had said that although the sport may involve cruelty, people do not take part in organizing the killing of the animal.
“Just because there’s death doesn’t mean it’s a blood sport. I don’t suggest that people who are going to participate and mount bulls are going there to draw blood at that event. People Animals are not going to be killed. Blood can be an accidental thing,” the bench, which also included Ajay Rastogi, Aniruddha Bose, Hrishikesh Roy and CT Ravikumar, had observed.
The apex court, in its 2014 verdict, had said that bulls cannot be used as performance animals for “Jallikattu” events or bullock cart races, and banned their use for these purposes across the country. Have given.
tamil nadu government on jallikattu
Senior advocate Kapil Sibal, appearing for Tamil Nadu, told the top court that Jallikattu is not for entertainment and the person who exhibits his bull shows great care and kindness to the animal. Sibal said, “What is the basis of saying that this is pure entertainment? Look at it from a historical perspective.”
The Tamil Nadu government told the top court that “Jallikattu” is a religious and cultural festival that has “religious significance” for the people of the state and does not violate the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, 1960. In a written petition filed in the apex court, the state government said that “Jallikattu” is not just an act of fun or entertainment but an event with great historical, cultural and religious significance. It added, “Jallikattu not only preserves the cultural and traditional heritage, but the continuous holding of these events also solves the problem of conservation of an indigenous breed of cattle.”
Tamil Nadu Assembly passed the bill
The sport was banned following protests by the Animal Welfare Board of India and animal rights organization PETA. Following state-wide protests in 2016, the Tamil Nadu government passed an ordinance which allowed it to resume from 2017, with the Centre’s approval. The Bill replaces an ordinance to govern the sport of bull taming.
The “Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act 2017”, piloted by the then Chief Minister O Panneerselvam, was passed by voice vote with the support of the opposition DMK and other parties. It said, “The Tamil Nadu government has decided to exempt Jallikattu from the provisions of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act.”
(With PTI inputs)
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