Tamil Nadu is slated to have the first legal jallikattu on February 1, or so it hopes. It will be legal because following mass protests against the ban on the bull taming sport, the Tamil Nadu Governor last week passed an ordinance authorising jallikattu and following that this week the Tamil Nadu Legislative Assembly passed a bi-partisan bill that effectively exempts jallikattu from coming under the ambit of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Act. As this will probably lead to some more litigation in the courts, the seesaw battle over jallikattu by the government and the courts is likely to continue. In the past, when the Tamil Nadu government had argued that jallikattu is intrinsic to the culture and traditions of the State and cannot be prohibited, the Supreme Court had looked at the sport purely from the point of view of animal rights, when banning it.
The interest for Goa in this jallikattu revival is that it brings a small ray of hope to the lovers of dhirio who have been waiting and are seeking to get the bulls back in the ring and get them to lock horns. There had been some similar hope around the same time last year when the Centre had issued a notification lifting the ban on holding jallikattu in Tamil Nadu so that it would not dent the Pongal festivities, despite the Supreme Court having banned it in 2014 for being inherently cruel. Within a few days the Supreme Court had stayed the Union government’s decision to permit the sport, ending whatever hopes the dhirio lovers of Goa had of having their local sport legalised.
Dhirio draws a very emotional response in Goa, with people in certain parts of the State still hoping for their revival, though it has been now banned for just over two decades. A revival of dhirio also has political backing, with candidates for elections and political parties having promised to legalise the sport, and even moving bills to that effect in the Legislature. There is even a House Committee that is studying ways to legalise the sport, and the Chief Minister has in the past gone on record to state that he will do whatever possible to legalise dhirio. Much, however will depend on how the courts react to the new legislation that keeps jallikattu from coming under the ambit of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animal’s Act.
As dhirio lovers watch what is happening in Tamil Nadu with hope, animal right activists will have equally keen eyes on Tamil Nadu awaiting to see how anything that happens there will affect Goa. A few decades ago, bullfights in Goa would be organised at every village feast or even on other days as a sport, and even advertised. That happened until animal rights began to play an important role, and activists defending animals took up the case going to the court. In a legal battle, traditions and people’s sentiments will have to give way to the rights of animals, especially if in training or in the sport there is any cruelty involved.
As Goa girds up for another electoral battle, bullfights are sure to come up in campaign speeches and promises. But, one thing Goa can be assured of, if there are people who want to revive dhirio, there are also those who will challenge the sport if it is legalised. Animal lovers will argue that it is not just the injuries that are a matter of concern, but the cruelty involved, even in training, that needs to be highlighted and should be reason to keep the ban going. While jallikattu gets a lease of life in Tamil Nadu, however temporary it may be, it may not be so easy for dhirio in Goa.
