‘Implement ban on jallikattu’

Animal welfare organisations such as People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organizations (FIAPO) have written to Union Environment Minister Jayanthi Natrajan requesting her to implement her ministry’s notification which bans jallikattu, a bull taming festival, even as many bulls and competitors were injured during the event this year. 

Organisations from all over India such as In Defence of Animals (IDA), Plant and Animals Welfare Society (PAWS), International Animal Rescue Goa, Foundation for Animals Nellore, JBF (India) Trust Guwahati, International Animal and Birds Welfare Society, Anantapur, among others, have written to Natrajan on the issue as violations of the Performing Animals (Registration) Rules were duly noted by some organisations during the event. 

In fact, the Ministry of Environment and Forests (MoEF) had identified bulls as performing animals through a notification in 2011, which implicitly means a ban on jallikattu but the Madras High Court’s Madurai bench allowed the event to take place in Tamil Nadu this year. “We are asking the MoEF to defend its own notification in court as there can be no ruling which goes against a central notification such as the one issued by them. We compliment them on such a forward-looking notification but expect its implementation soon,” said FIAPO chief executive officer Arpan Sharma. 

The organisations said every year, during the festival, bulls are harassed, beaten, prodded and tormented. In fact, PETA conducted investigations at five jallikattu events and found that bulls were tied tightly, causing them severe discomfort, they were hit with fists and their tails pulled and twisted and they were wrestled to the ground. All these are violations of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act, the organisatons said. 

According to news reports cited by the organisations, 19 competitors and 23 bull tamers were injured at a jallikattu in Avanuyeapuram on January 15, where 257 bulls were used. At another event near Tirupati, bulls were forcibly given country liquor and 18 persons were injured. 

http://www.indianexpress.com/news/implement-ban-on-jallikattu/905113/2

High Court grants permission for jallikattu

 But refuses to stay Centre’s notification prohibiting use of bulls as ‘performing animals’

The Madras High Court Bench here on Thursday refused to stay the operation of a notification issued by the Centre on July 11 prohibiting the use of bulls as ‘performing animals.' Yet, it permitted the conduct of jallikattu in eight places in Madurai, Tiruchi and Sivaganga districts between January 15 and 29.

Passing interim orders in a batch of public interest litigation petitions filed both in favour as well as against the event, a Division Bench comprising Justice Chitra Venkataraman and Justice R. Karuppiah said they were inclined to permit the sport during this Pongal season alone in view of its regulated conduct in the last two years and for want of a counter affidavit by the Centre.

The Bench ordered that the events should be conducted strictly in compliance with a series of interim orders passed by the Supreme Court on the issue between January 2008 and March 2011, the safeguards provided under the Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act, 2009 and additional safety measures promised to be undertaken during the hearing of the present batch of cases. 

“In all fairness, the State should see that the safety and security of bull tamers, spectators and bulls were protected. The festival is not only for us but also for the four-legged creatures. Take care and make it an enjoyable event. Ensure that everything goes well,” Ms. Justice Venkataraman said and directed the State government to file a compliance report by January 30. 

She said the compliance report would form the basis for the court to reconsider the issue of permitting jallikattu in future. Further, the State government was ordered to provide a checklist to the officials concerned. The additional safeguard ordered in the present case was setting up of bull yards at the end of the bull taming area in order to prevent the animals from returning to the track. 

Director of Animal Husbandry and Veterinary Services R. Palaniswamy said jallikattu would be conducted at Avaniapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur in Madurai district; Periyasuriyur, Palakurichi and Karungulam in Tiruchi district and Siravayal and Kandipatti in Sivaganga district. Coconut fibre and saw dust would be strewn on the surface in Avaniapuram where the sport was conducted by cordoning off a main road. 

Earlier, Additional Solicitor General (ASG) M. Ravindran said the Union Ministry of Environment and Forests would require at least two week to file its counter affidavit as it had to be vetted by the Law Ministry. However, he submitted on oral instructions that the July 11 notification was primarily meant to ban animal race conducted in Maharashtra and Gujarat and not Tamil Nadu's Jallikattu. 

But the judges asked the ASG to put his submissions in writing and submit it by January 30 when the court would decide the larger question of the Centre's notification having the effect of nullifying the State enactment on regulating jallikattu. S. Guru Krishnakumar, Additional Advocate General, representing the State government in the Supreme Court, argued the case on behalf of the State. 

He contended that the Centre's notification would apply only to animals registered under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act and not the jallikattu bulls which were registered only as per Supreme Court orders in a different format than what was prescribed under the PCA Act. He also contended that it was the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and not the District Collectors who were registering the bulls. 

“Flouting court orders”

Countering the arguments, senior counsel R. Yashod Vardhan, appearing on behalf of an individual animal lover, read out the Supreme Court order and said that it categorically stated that only the Collectors concerned must register the bulls as per the PCA Act. “If these bulls were not being registered as per the apex court orders, then it amounts to flouting the court orders,” he added. 

Later, when Mr. Krishnakumar argued that the AWBI, which had filed a writ petition in favour of the Centre's notification, ought to have moved the Supreme Court which was already seized of a batch of cases on the issue and not the High Court, Ms. Justice Venkataraman intervened and said: “The same would apply to you (State government) too. You could have also challenged the notification.” 

The AAG was joined by Advocate General A. Navaneethakrishnan who flew down from Chennai in the evening when the judges were dictating their orders.

A huge number of villagers and All India Anna Dravida Munnetra Kazhagam cadres burst crackers outside the High Court campus immediately after the court granted permission for the sport.

Animal Welfare Board seeks quashing of order to permit J'kattu

Madurai:  The Animal Welfare Board of India today filed a petition in the Madurai Bench of Madras High Court seeking quashing of orders of Tiruchirapalli and Madurai Collectors to permit Jallikattu (taming of the bull) to be held this year in connection with the Pongal harvest festival.

The board submitted it has taken this action after the Collectors passed the order to hold the festival despite individual letters drawing their attention to the Environment Ministry's notification banning use of bulls as performing animals.

 It said it has also sent reminders to all Collectors that the state should ensure that the bulls are not trained or exhibited as performing animals in view of the notification and that any violation would contravene the Centre's direction.

The Board also requested that a circular be issued to all authorities to comply with the notification.

The petitioner apprehended the possibility of Jallikttau being held in Madurai and Trichirapalli districts for Pongal.

If held, it would not only cause cruelty to the animals but also a lot of inconvenience, injury and death of innocent public which should be avoided at any cost.

The Board also prayed for a stay on the operation of the December 14 proceeding of the Secretary of Animal Husbandry Department and consequential orders of the two collectors.  

The petitioner further sought a direction to authorities to implement the union government's notification.  

http://www.ndtv.com/article/tamil-nadu/animal-welfare-board-seeks-quashing-of-order-to-permit-jkattu-165701

Read more at: http://www.ndtv.com/article/tamil-nadu/animal-welfare-board-seeks-quashing-of-order-to-permit-jkattu-165701&cp

Training for jallikattu participants

MADURAI: The district administration has organised a training programme in Madurai on Saturday for youth participating in jallikattu events.


The district administration had come up with the idea to conduct the training programme in the wake of strict opposition to jallikattu events from the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI), that is working for a ban on jallikattu on the grounds that the bulls were treated cruelly. The training programme would brief participants on the Supreme Court guidelines, besides instructing them not to torture the animals in the jallikattu arena. Officials have also planned to restrict the number of youth pouncing on the bulls and ensure that only a specific number of them could try to cling to the humps in any given time.

Officials feel that the additional restrictions were essential to ensure that there were no violations of the Supreme Court guidelines. Jallikattu organisers, have agreed to the strict norms unwillingly as they are aware that the state government has permitted the sport taking into consideration their sentiments, despite a Central government notification that virtually banned bulls from participating in the event.

Collector U Sagayam visited Alanganallur to inspect the jallikattu ground and gave instructions on the setting up of 'vadivasal', barricading and erecting the spectators' gallery. The event will be held at Avaniapuram on January 14, Palamedu on January 15 and Alanganallur on January 16. Jallikattu will be also held at Sakkudi village festival in April and Keezhapatti village in May.

"The jallikattu events would be held under the direct supervision of the district administration adhering to the Supreme Court guidelines," he said. Sagayam said that there were hiccups in registering the bulls for jallikattu due to the notification issued by the Union environment ministry.

"The state government is holding talks with the Centre, as well as AWBI for removal of bulls from the list of performing animals and register them for jallikattu event," he said. A large number of youth from across the district are expected to participate in the training programme.

http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/madurai/Training-for-jallikattu-participants/articleshow/11395375.cms

PETA chooses Hema Malini as 'Person of the Year'

Bollywood's eternal 'Dream Girl' Hema Malini never misses an opportunity to speak out for animals. So, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) found her to be the obvious choice for their Person of the Year award.

Poorva Joshipura, PETA India's chief functionary said, "Hema is the embodiment of the kindness and determination to effect the positive social change that PETA India stands for. She is loved and respected throughout India and beyond, and she has used her prestige time and time again to speak up for all the animals whose abuse and oppression might otherwise go unnoticed."

Hema Malini's work for animal rights includes writing a heartfelt appeal this year to the Ministry of Environment and Forests on behalf of PETA India, urging them to ban jallikattu (bull fighting).

Soon after this, the said Ministry issued a notification in The Gazette of India stating that bulls can no longer be used as 'performing' animals. Not just that, she had also written a letter on behalf of PETA India, asking that cruel and dangerous horse carts to be banned in Mumbai. In November, the Mumbai High Court came to a landmark decision to crack down on unlicensed stables housing horses used to pull carriages.