Ban on Jallikattu to be considered by SC - Fusion - WeRIndia

After the move by Centre to lift the ban on Jallikattu, petitions have been filed by the Animal Welfare Board of India challenging the Centre’s decision. The Supreme Court has agreed to listen to the petitions against Tamil Nadu’s controversial bull-taming sport ‘jallikattu’. The bench to hear the petitions will be led Chief Justice TS Thakur on January 12.

Recently, the Centre lifted the ban that was made four years ago on Tamil Nadu’s controversial bull-taming sport ‘jallikattu’ by altering its 2011 notification. The new notification from the Centre not only lifted ban on ‘Jallikattu’ but also on other traditional bull-related events like bullock cart races in Maharashtra, Karnataka, Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Gujarat.

After the notification was released by Centre on Thursday January 7, many activists decided to bring the Supreme Court against environment ministry’s move. The activists stated that the step was taken by ignoring view of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI). The AWBI has written to the environment ministry against doing such moves on December 31.

With activists claiming so, the environment minister Prakash Javadekar stated that the decision is justified. He said practices which have cultural and historical practices of communities have been allowed with “many restrictions”.

Furthermore, Tamil Nadu CM J Jayalalithaa also thanked PM Narendra Modi who gave a quick response to her government’s appeal regarding the approval of ‘Jallikattu’. The new notification to lift ban on ‘Jallikattu’ from Centre came even after the Supreme Court upholding in 2014 and the ministry’s 2011 notification which put bulls in the category of animals that should not be used as performing animals.

The activists who heard the new notification want to make sure that old ban on this ‘sport’ stays. Many argue that violent treatment of animals does not count as Indian tradition.

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