Jallikattu is debated for two reasons. (1) Animal cruelty (2) Human injuries. When you are PETA and want to talk about animal cruelty, please don’t bother about humans as they are opposite sides of the same coin. If you feel humans evolved from Gorilla and so you care about them, then kindly fight against liquor in our state which claims more human lives than Jallikattu.
PETA is American invention that has come to fight for animals. People who don’t treat other humans equally due to their colour now have come to fight for animals. When they say they care about animals, we couldn’t forget their search for mass destruction weapons in Iraq and nurturing of saddam and Osama for freedom of their countries. Remember Jallikattu is older than America itself.
When a few Tamil actors support PETA, we don’t mind at all. But when you get national award by indulging cocks into fight in the film but preach animal cruelty, we feel irritated. As George Bush said “Either you are with us or against us”.
Coming back into the issue, Jallikattu is our tradition and pride. Bulls are trained like race horses or tamed like elephants. They are nourished with rich diet and extreme care. Watching their shape and posture itself is a treat to the eyes. Now don’t question why such a thing is your pride. Culture is different place to place. Don’t measure our tradition with your yardstick.
Are we killing the bulls as they do in Spanish bullfight? I wonder why PETA didn’t fight against Swizz bull fighting, Turkey camel fighting and many more. In that sense isn’t it cruel to cage the animals or use it for lab experiments ? Can you raise your voice against camel qurbani during Ramadan ?
Yes it is true that we hug the tail. It’s just to move on to the horns as it is virtually impossible to go face to face against our lovely beasts.
We are ready to play Jallikattu in videogames the day you conduct your court proceeding without any prejudice. Cases go on for a decade, deer commit suicide but when necessary bails are granted in two hours. Laws have come to punish doctors when they err. What about judges who make mistakes in the judgments. Why no law or ordinance is made to set a level playing field. I think it’s time.
On the second point, when you talk about injuries to human, it is always common in any sport. Why don’t you ban boxing and WWF where one beats another into pulp. People have died in cricket, golf even in chess ! So will you ban them also. Further in Jallikattu people participate willingly. So why does it bother you?
Ours is a culture that has a separate festival for cattle and we would never hurt them.
Hope better sense prevail and law permits us again to conduct Jallikattu. We are eagerly awaiting to watch our bulls coming out of Vaadivaasal.
