Jallikattu: The Supreme Court affirmed the legitimacy of the traditional bull-taming sport “Jallikattu” and bullock cart races on Thursday, which is a huge relief for the governments of Tamil Nadu, Maharashtra, and Karnataka. The Supreme Court ruled that the governmental acts are legitimate under the law. The court further ordered the governments to aggressively enforce the legal requirements for animal protection and safety.
Supreme Court Upholds Cultural Heritage in Landmark Ruling on Jallikattu and Bullock Cart Races
The Supreme Court stated, “Cultural heritage supported by texts and evidence, the court cannot intervene into the matter.” A five-judge Constitution bench led by Justice KM Joseph issued the ruling. Bull-taming is a sport that is practised in Tamil Nadu as a part of the Pongal harvest festival under the names “Jallikattu” and “Eruthazhuvuthal”.
Supreme Court Evaluates Legality of Bull-Taming Sport in Response to Petitions by PETA and Others
The law allowing the bull-taming sport in Tamil Nadu was being challenged in the petitions, one of which was submitted by the animal rights organisation PETA. The Supreme Court had previously stated that a larger bench should have heard the petitions challenging the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 because they raised important constitutional interpretation issues. The smaller bench created five questions for the larger bench to decide. Bulls cannot be used as performing animals for “Jallikattu” festivals or bullock-car races, according to the highest court’s 2014 ruling, which outlawed their use for these activities nationwide.
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