No red card for animal sports People have used animals and birds in traditional sports for centuries. Despite evidence of cruelty, England, , Wales & only a few countries have been able to outlaw Northern Alberta, Canada The Netherlands such practices France Bull fighting , USA South Dakota Catalonia Cock fighting and Portugal (except in Afghanistan the Viana do Castelo Hare Pakistan ( are let Cuba municipality) 40,000 loose to kill hares) bulls are killed during Mexico Thailand The Philippines bullfights every year Dog fighting Vietnam Colombia Rodeos Ecuador Iguanas and opossums (stuffed into pinatas, Brazil which are then beaten with sticks) Latin America Horses (In Mexico, Australia trained bulls ram into horses, fatally Argentina wounding them) Why countries support animal use New Zealand Places where the animal is Why countries ban animal use Cultural heritage Pigs (used to be banned from traditional sports Source of entertainment stabbed in public to Places where the animal is used Threat to animal population Generates revenue and employment bring good luck) for traditional sports

Graphic: Raj Kumar Singh / CSE Source: Compiled from various sources, including PETA and news articles

human beings too. An article in The Hindu states Since the Supreme Court ban in 2014, a feeling and the breed will become extinct.” Supporters started an intensive social that between 2008 and 2014, 43 people were killed of discontent had been building up among a few On his part, Hiphop Tamizha Adhi released media campaign to put pressure on the and 5,263 participants and spectators were injured sections of the state’s population. Days before a stylishly shot music video titled Takkaru during such events. But supporters of jallikattu are Pongal in January 2016, the Centre had attempted Takkaru in 2016. The video not only displays Centre and state to restore jallikattu. They not convinced of the need to ban the sport. to allow the sport by issuing a notification brute male strength—of both man and bull— said the sport was a symbol of Tamil pride exempting bulls from the performing animals but also pits Tamil traditions against the “evil” and helped save the state's indigenous Symbol of Tamil pride list. But peta and another organisation promptly multinationals wanting to impose foreign cattle cattle breeds Jallikattu has a history of at least 2,000 years, with challenged it in the top court, which stayed the breeds on the people. The lyrics state: “We think references to bull taming or bull chasing having notification. Since then, Karthikeya Sivasenapathy, of our bulls as sons. How could we think of hurting been found in poetry of the Tamil Sangam period, managing trustee of the Senapathy Kangeyam them?” activists decried jallikattu the tradition. Since jallikattu was banned, many on a seal from the archaeological site of Mohenjo Cattle Research Foundation, rapper Hiphop in television debates and newspaper editorials, farmers have sold their bulls. This will lead to Daro and even in rock paintings from 3,500 years Tamizha Adhi, and P Rajasekar of the Jallikattu inciting Tamil supporters further. Their anger the breed dying out.” Among the protestors are ago. It was an opportunity for men to display their Peravai (movement) began an intensive social finally boiled over when the apex court said it would also many who have never seen a live jallikattu strength to women, who chose their spouses based media awareness campaign to put pressure on the not be able to give a verdict on holding jallikattu by event before. R Saravana Kumar, a PhD scholar on the men’s performance in the arena. Modern- Centre and state to restore jallikattu. January 14, 2017, the day of Pongal this year. at Madras University, hails from Vellore, a district day jallikattu is held from the Pongal festival in Apart from Tamil pride, they insisted on the Two days after the festival, a protest began in where jallikattu is not traditionally held. He says, January until May and is now subject to rules of importance of saving the state’s indigenous cattle Alanganallur in Madurai district. On January 17, “We were angry with the Centre for removing the game as well as supervision by district, police breeds. “There are nine native breeds of cattle in hordes of protestors descended on Marina Beach in Pongal from the compulsory holiday list. We view and animal husbandry officials. Given jallikattu’s Tamil Nadu,” says Sivasenapathy. “Kangeyam is the Chennai. R Nandini, a law student at the Ambedkar this as an attack on our Tamil culture. I participated long history, the sport has attained symbolic status mother breed of the livestock here. If jallikattu is Law University, who hails from Madurai, says, in the protest because if we let jallikattu go now, in Tamil culture and tradition. banned, farmers will not raise the bulls anymore “Each home there rears a jallikattu bull—that is then in the future, they (the Centre) will continue

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