Death by design: on jallikattu (The Hindu)

Mains Paper 3: Polity
Prelims level: Jallikattu
Mains level: Judicial decisions on Jallikattu

Context

•  Murphy’s law takes a strong hold: if things can go wrong, they most likely will.
•  Jallikattu may have drawn the attention of animal rights activists for the innumerable accounts of cruelty to bulls, but the deaths fall mostly on the human side of the ledger.
•  The animals suffer but generally survive the ordeal, while a few youth lose their lives.
•  A tragedy as in Viralimalai in Pudukottai district of Tamil Nadu, where two men were gored to death by bulls, was waiting to happen.
•  Whatever the precautions taken, and there were many, one cannot prepare for the behaviour of a rampaging bull.

Could anything have been done differently?

•  In keeping with the guidelines set by the Supreme Court to regulate the sport, the Health Department had also deployed teams of doctors from Pudukottai.
•  Medical experts from Tiruchi and Thanjavur Medical Colleges were deployed to attend to emergency cases.
•  A makeshift operation theatre was also set up at the venue.
•  After Sunday’s tragedy, jallikattu events of the future might have barricades at the collection points too.
•  But danger is in the very nature of the blood sport that is jallikattu. Unpredictability is intrinsic to the sport.
•  Attempts to ban the sport have been opposed on the ground that it is an inseparable part of Tamil Nadu’s culture.

Way forward

•  The Tamil Nadu government in 2017 took the ordinance route to allow for the holding of jallikattu following a ban by the Supreme Court.
•  The Centre exempted bulls from the rules framed for ensuring the well-being of performing animals.
•  After every loss of human life the regulations might get tighter, but the danger to the life and limb of participants, spectators, and bull-owners will remain in the conduct of jallikattu.

Online Coaching for UPSC PRE Exam

General Studies Pre. Cum Mains Study Materials

Prelims Questions:

Q.1) Consider the following matches and choose the incorrect matches:
A. Sagar Kanya-Ocean Research Vessel
B. Sagar Sampada-Fishery Research Vessel
C. Sagar Nidhi- Indian Ocean Research Vessel
D. Sagar Purvi-Coastal Research Vessel

Answer: D

Mains Questions:
Q.1) Tighter regulations cannot eliminate the element of danger intrinsic to jallikattu. Give your arguments in this regard of this statement.