Only native bulls to be allowed in Jallikattu: Madras HC bars participation of foreign breeds

The court ordered that a certificate issued by the Animal Husbandry department identifying a bull as a native one must be filed while applying to participate in the sport.

Chennai: The Madras High Court directed the Tamil Nadu government to ensure that only native breed bulls take part in the traditional bull-taming sport Jallikattu. The order prohibited the participation of foreign or cross-bred bulls. It also places the requirement of a vet’s certification of participating bulls. The order by a two-judge bench comprising Justices N. Kirubakaran(Retd) and P.Velmurugan came in response to a writ petition filed by E Seshan, who stated that Jallikattu and similar sports were meant to promote indigenous breeds of bulls, but were witnessing the wrongful participation of foreign and cross breed bulls. Jalikattu is a bull-taming sport where an athlete is required to cling to or embrace a running bull for a certain time and distance. If the man holds on to the bull, he wins the contest and if the bull managed to dislodge the athlete from itself, it is the animal’s victory. Native breed bulls (boy indicus) are best suited for this sport as they have well-defined and large humps aligned with their front legs.