Central government may allow return of Jallikattu during Pongal with eye on Tamil Nadu polls

NEW DELHI: The BJP-led central government may be about to pave the way for the return of Jallikattu (bullfighting) in Tamil Nadu on the occasion of the Pongal festival but within strict guidelines to ensure animals are not harmed, perhaps with an eye on assembly elections in the state early next year. The practice was banned last year by the Supreme Court following objections by animal welfare activists.

“Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu, bullock cart race in Maharashtra, Kambala in Karnataka and some sort of race using bullocks in Punjab have been traditionally and culturally practiced for centuries. These are traditional practices.
We want that this cultural practice is followed but also ensure that animals are not met with cruelty,” environment minister Prakash Javadekar said Monday. “There will be good news on this front very soon.”

Javadekar is likely to consult attorney general Mukul Rohatgi before his ministry finalises the guidelines to ensure that it does not fall foul of the SC directives that led to the ban on Jallikattu last year. He wants strict rules to be in place before it’s allowed, said people aware of the matter. He may announce the new guidelines any time after January 1, they said.

The BJP’s state unit has been demanding that the practice be resumed. “Tamil Nadu BJP has always supported Jallikattu and maintains that it should be allowed,” BJP general secretary Murlidhar Rao, who looks after party’s Tamil Nadu affairs for the central leadership, told ET.

As the Pongal festival draws closer, political parties in the state have all issued similar calls and even asked the Modi government to issue an ordinance to pave the way for its return. Several Tamil Nadu lawmakers also raised this issue in the recently concluded winter session of parliament.

The BJP would like to ensure the credit, if it’s allowed again, isn’t taken by rivals. “Forget about political parties championing the cause now, DMK and Congress can never take the claim. It was during their regime that it got banned,” Rao said, asserting the BJP’s support for the sport.

The Centre is considering an “executive route” through guidelines that must be strictly adhered to while organising Jallikattu to ensure animals are not harmed. With Pongal just about a fortnight away, any such action will need to be taken soon.