Why Jallikattu is important: The story of how the Brahman bull conquered America

NEW DELHI: The controversy over Jallikattu, the bull sport banned by the Supreme Court, has been narrowed down to cruelty to animals, missing a very significant aspect—the festival sport has become a nursery for quality breeds of bulls which are on the verge of extinction. The Kangayam bulls, a quality native breed which is going extinct, is preserved mainly through the tradition of Jallikattu which incentivises villagers to rear these exceptionally strong bulls.

The importance of native Indian breeds of bulls can be gauged from the story of the Brahman bull—a type of cattle in the US which was first produced in early 20th century by cross-breeding India's Kankrej, Ongole, and Gir breeds, which are as pure as the Jallikattu bulls.

The Brahman bull is one of the most popular breeds in the US today. It has spread to several Latin American countries as well as Australia.

The website of The American Brahman Breeders Association calls Brahamn bull "#1 beef breed for efficiency, hybrid vigor and environmental adaptability".

"Because of this added hybrid vigor, the use of Brahman bulls with European or English breed cows is one of the most popular crossbreeding practices in the United States, with the resulting Brahman F-1 calf in high demand by cattlemen for replacement females or feeders in the feedlot," the website says.

The American cross-breed named after Brahmins, possibly due to the temple tradition of bull rearing, is popular because it displays the traits of its Indian ancestor—drought resistance, heat tolerance, disease and parasite resistance and increased longevity.

F-1 Brahman females are called "queens of the cow country". The website describes them as maternal machines: "They have increased milk production, higher fertility, and wean faster-growing calves with fewer inputs. Plus, she will have a longer productive life, raising more calves over her lifetime than other breeds."

The superiority of the Brahman bull in the US draws from their history in India. Extreme tropical weather, scarcity of food and a large variety of insects, parasites and diseases gave them more survival power. The Brahman cattle in the US is said to be intelligent and shy. They are very loving and docile and prefer to be treated well.

Indian bulls powered the American breeding sector more than a century ago. The supporters of Jallikattu fear that a blanket ban on the sport can lead to extinction of similar cattle breeds.