DMK urges Tamil Nadu government to seek review of Supreme Court ban on jallikattu

CHENNAI: DMK chief M Karunanidhi today urged the Jayalalithaa Government in Tamil Nadu to seek review of the Supreme Court's verdict banning ' jallikattu', describing the popular bull taming sport as a symbol of Tamil culture.

In a statement here, he said the state government should immediately take steps to secure the apex court's permission to allow continuation of jallikattu considering the sentiments and appeal made by all quarters, including organisers of the sport, and "law and order consequences" due to the ban. The government should also take into account the danger of 60,000 bulls being sent to Kerala for slaughter and protect the "symbol of Tamil culture and tradition", he said.

The apex court on May 7 banned using bulls for jallikattu events or bullock-cart races across the country, observing that jallikattu demonstrates a link between actions of humans and the fear, distress and pain experienced by bulls and the torture and cruelty meted out to the bulls is unimaginable.

Tracing the history of 'jallikattu', widely held in southern Tamil Nadu mainly coinciding with harvest festival of 'Pongal' in January, Karunanidhi said it was a sport of Tamil valor and there were even references to it in ancient 'Sangam' period literature. Maintaining that it did not cause death of either the animal or the bull tamers, he recalled various steps taken during the DMK regime to secure the permission of Supreme Court for holding jallikkatu in 2007 as per its guidelines and enactment of an act in 2009 for this purpose.