2, Including Minor, Gored To Death During Jallikattu Bull Taming Festival

Two people, including a boy, were gored to death by bulls at a Jallikattu venue at Tamil Nadu's Sivaganga district today. According to police, the tragic incident at Siravayal near Madurai did not take place during the Jallikattu event, but after the run when the bull owners had gathered to collect their animals. At that point, police said, the bulls ran helter-skelter and the victims were gored to death by separate animals.  A total of 186 bulls were part of this Jallikattu event that is still underway, police said.

The incident raises question marks on the safety measures in place for the bull-taming sport. Safety norms mandated by the Supreme Court include double barricading of the entire arena and steps to ensure no animal injures spectators. Injuries have been reported from other Jallikattu venues too. At least 60 people were injured yesterday at Palamedu in Madurai district. The event is underway at Alanganallur, seen as the capital of Jallikattu.

Traditionally played in several parts of Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival, Jallikattu has been the subject of heated debates and protracted legal battles for years now.

Animal rights organisations have called for a ban on the sport, citing a risk of injury to both the participants and the bull. However, any move to prohibit the sport has sparked widespread protests by its supporters.

Jallikattu was first banned following a Madras High Court order in 2006. The Supreme Court in 2014 barred the sport on the grounds of animal cruelty. Following protests, the Tamil Nadu government temporarily lifted the ban in 2017. It then amended laws governing the sport. This set the stage for another legal battle, with animal rights groups challenging the legislation in the Supreme Court.

In its arguments in the Supreme Court, the Tamil Nadu government called Jallikattu "not merely an act of entertainment or amusement but an event with great historic, cultural and religious value".

Last year, the Supreme Court upheld the state government's law allowing 'Jallikattu' events. A five-judge constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph stated that when the legislature has declared 'Jallikattu' to be part of the cultural heritage of Tamil Nadu, the judiciary cannot take a different view

The court stated in its order that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017 "substantially minimises cruelty to animals in sports".

The Act includes several measures to ensure the welfare of bulls, such as requiring them to be properly fed and watered, and prohibiting the use of any sharp objects or chemicals on them.

At Jallikattu events, a raging bull is released into a crowd. Multiple participants then try to grab its hump and hang on to it in their attempts to being the animal to a stop. Prizes such as cars, bikes and gold coins are up for the grabs at many of these contests.