Jallikattu gets green light from HC Bench

MADURAI: Ending the suspense over conducting the famous bull-taming event jallikattu, as part of Pongal celebrations at Alanganallur and other places, the Madurai Bench of the Madras High Court on Thursday granted permission to the organisers to go ahead with it as scheduled. The organisers can now conduct the event in Madurai, Sivaganga and Tiruchy next week subject to the guidelines issued by the Animal Welfare Board, Supreme Court and the Madras HC.“Let the orders of the Supreme Court, High Court and guidelines of Animal Welfare Board be distributed by the local authorities to the organisers as a performance guide,” a bench of Justice Chitra Venkataraman and Justice R Karuppiah said while posting the matter for hearing on January 30.The court also instructed counsels appearing for the State government to file a performance report on the conduct of the jallikattu before the court on January 30. Subsequently, the court would pass a final order on the petitions seeking to ban jallikattu.Earlier, arguing before the bench, the counsel for State government said the use of bulls in jallikattu cannot be deemed to fall within the definition of “performing animals” since jallikattu was a sport and not a circus. The Environment Ministry has prohibited animals from being trained and exhibited in circuses and not from taking part in sports, the counsel said. The judges held that there was no serious complaint on the conduct of jallikattu by the Animal Welfare Department in the past two years. “Therefore, there is no harm in allowing jallikattu with enhanced safety measures,” they noted.In a counter-affidavit, State Animal Husbandry Department Secretary also submitted that additional safety measures will be implemented during jallikattu.“It will be conducted strictly in accordance with the provisions of the TN Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009, and the directions of SC,” the affidavit said.The department also assured that double barricades and extra persons will be posted in the bull yard. Fodder would be provided to ensure that the bulls are calmed down at the yard and additional police force would prevent any inadvertent venture of spectators into the yard. Security personnel posted at the exit points would prevent the bulls from re-entering the arena. Besides, enhanced medical facilities will be provided during the event.