(IN) Cattle race Kerala news

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Online edition of India's National Newspaper

Friday, Dec 07, 2007

ePaper <http://epaper.thehindu.com/>

 

*Plan to hold bull race comes under fire *

 

K. Santhosh

 

*Animal rights activists say such races are cruel *

 

Cite apex court's references while banning " jallikettu "

 

Campaign against bull races on in State

 

Thrissur: Animal rights activists have criticised the State government's

plan to hold a bull race here on December 8, as part of Keralotsavam.

 

The activists point out the Supreme Court's references while banning

" jallikettu " (bull race) in Tamil Nadu.

 

On July 27, a Bench, comprising Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan, Justice

Tarun Chatterjee and Justice R.V. Raveendran, stayed a Madras High Court

judgment refusing to ban bull races at Alanganallur and other places in

Tamil Nadu during Pongal.

 

The apex court acted on a special leave petition filed by the Animal Welfare

Board of India (No.S 11686/2007).

 

In March 2006, a single judge of the Madras High Court banned the event,

observing that the bulls were subjected to enormous cruelty during the race.

Later, a Division Bench of the Madurai Bench of the High Court reversed the

decision on certain conditions. The State had contended that the sport

attracted a lot of foreign tourists.

 

Counsel for the Animal Welfare Board of India argued that bull races clearly

violated Section 11(a) of the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

 

On December 5, 1989, the Andhra Pradesh High Court quashed a Government

Order that permitted ox races.

 

" Conduct of such races amounts to cruelty to animals prohibited under the

Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960, " the court said.

Barbaric sport

 

Animal rights activists in the State have been actively campaigning against

bull races in the past few years.

 

Daya, a Muvattupuzha-based organisation, fought against the Kakkur cattle

race at Thirumaradi panchayat in Ernakulam district in 2005.

 

Sukumar Azhikode, K.G. Sankara Pillai, Vijayalakshmi, M. Achuthan, M.V.

Benny, P. I. Sankaranarayanan and Rajendra Prasad, writers, signed a

campaign letter against the race in 2006.

 

" Bull races are cruel and against the country's non-violent traditions.

Moreover, displaying an animal in a public event requires six certificates,

including one from the Animal Welfare Board of India (according to

Performing Animals Registration Rules, 2001), " said A.J. Babu, animal

welfare officer with the Animal Welfare Board of India.