Jallikattu protests - My thoughts

Chennai has set the bar so high on how to effectively protest without public disruption, that anyone in across the world who wants to do protest, must read about it. I’m so proud to be from this city and to have friends participating in this protest. Sadly, I am miles away from the marina beach, but I do have fond memories of protesting along with Anna Hazare led anti-corruption protests in 2011.

Chennai/ Tamil Nadu’s protest for Jallikattu 

Jallikattu is a sport played during the Pongal festival in January each year. It’s a harvest festival for 4 days marking the beginning of Thai month in the Tamil calendar. The third day - Mattu pongal is a day observed to respect and love the cattle, which is an integral part of the agricultural life of a farmer.  On this day, the bulls are sent thru an entry gate called ‘vadivasal’ to a playing field and the youth of the village try to hold on to the hump for a short while. If anyone succeeds, they are declared winners and if the bull successfully leaves the playing area without anyone holding it, it is the winner. There is a lot of pride attached to this sport and so bulls are reared and prepared for this purpose. The bulls that are successful are then used as studs for breeding.

Animal welfare organizations have argued endlessly that the bulls are being tortured in this sport. There are arguments that liquor is fed, chili powder is sprayed or its tail is pulled to aggravate the animal and make the contest harder for the participants. I have however not seen a game in person. So, I’m basing my opinion on the news that I’ve been hearing all these years. In 2009 a rule was passed that the sport needs to be conducted with supervision. Between 2009 and 2014 PETA, found evidence of torture and got the Indian government to ban this sport completely.

Since the ban, every year during Pongal there have been unsuccessful protests and efforts to get the government to retract their decision. This year despite huge protests the ban remained intact during the Pongal time, however the scale and intensity increased by many folds after the festival.  Being away from the center of action gave me a chance to think of a few reasons of the scale of protest.

1. Messages that were effectively communicated - Jallikattu is a sport designed to keep the native breeds alive and a theory that the dairy industry wants to kill the native breeds and take monopoly of the A2 variety milk that is supposed to be healthier.
2. Karnataka’s Cauvery protests – In the last few years, although there were protests to get Jallikattu back, there was an underlying respect for Supreme Court rulings. People accepted it. But in 2016, when Karnataka refused to follow Supreme court order on releasing Cauvery water because of local protests, it opened a new line of thought that pressure of protests can overrule court orders. Sadly, it worked for Karnataka and it seems to be working partially for Jallikattu, with the ordinance being passed
3. Lastly, when the above two reasons are added to identity politics and victim sentiments it intensifies the situation many folds.

On Jan 20, 2017 when the ordinance was passed, many of the whatsapp groups that I’m part of with my Chennai friends were buzzing. In one of the groups, I had a brief conversation with a friend and below is the English version of that

Me – Hey, looks like the ordinance is passed! is there going to be Jallikattu this year?

Friend – Yes, of course

Me – but, it happens during Maatu Pongal (Day 3 of the festival) rite... aren’t we past that time now?

Friend – Yeah, but for us it will be Pongal only with Jallikattu

Me – oh. nice. You playing this time?

Friend -  no! it’s not for me. We need more guts to play the game

Me – Isn’t it just hugging the bull, that’s what I’ve seen people say in the protest videos? ;)

Friend – Agree it has to be played under rules to make it safer… etc

The chat went on for some more time, but the point that I’m trying to highlight is that some of the protestors have not been anywhere close to a game before nor do they intend to play in the future. Of course, it’s perfectly OK to support a cause that affects your fellow countrymen even when you are not directly impacted. 

But, I do have questions to some of the points being highlighted in the protest videos.

Is Jalikattu the only way to save Native breeds?

Its often highlighted that there were 130 native Indian breeds that were alive hundred years back and only 30 odd exist now. No doubt, the role of a bull has vastly reduced in agriculture or in general in rural areas. But, is it worth looking at how other states and other countries are handling this issue?

Jallikattu was played all these years and yet there was a drop in the bull variety. So, is it the only solution or should we look at the issue more holistically to make sure bull is not added to the list of endangered species in future?

Is it the right way to get it back?

I also believe that the sport should continue with a proper framework that ensures safety for the bull and the people participating. But essentially, this protest is to lift a ban that was set to ensure safety of the bulls. So, I believe it has to be won back in the courts by argument and reason that it isn’t harmful to the bull. The protest can no doubt help in bringing people to the table to discuss and rethink this ban, but I hope this pressure alone doesn’t end up in the ban being revoked. It would set a very bad precedent where pressure of protests overtakes rational thinking capacity of the institutions we need to trust.