India high court halts bullfights

[Guest guest]

From ANIMAL PEOPLE, March 2009:

 

 

India high court halts bullfights

 

NEW DELHI--The Supreme Court of India on January 30, 2009

reaffirmed a July 2007 ruling that public " bull-taming " exercises

called jallikattu are illegal, and that jallikattu events held under

a limited exemption granted in January 2008 did not meet the Supreme

Court-imposed condition that cruelty to the bulls must be prevented.

Traditionally held during Pongal season festivals, chiefly

in Tamil Nadu state, jallikattu includes bullock cart races,

bullfights, and participatory torment of bulls similar to the mob

attacks on bulls practiced at festivals in parts of Spain, Latin

America, and South Africa.

Acting on a motion by Animal Welfare Board of India senior

advocate K K Venugopal, Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan and Justice

P. Sathasivam issued a restraining order against further jallikattu

during the 2009 Pongal season, after 21 people were killed and at

least 1,614 were injured in January 2009 jallikattu events. They

extended the order on February 13. The Supreme Court is to rule on

the Animal Welfare Board's request for a permanent injunction against

jallikattu later in 2009.

" We don't want to stop bull fighting completely as it

attracts tourism, " Chief Justice Balakrishnan advised, according to

J. Venkatesan of The Hindu, but the Chief Justice added " We can't

allow violent activities. "

One week after the Supreme Court issued the restraining order

against jallikattu, Member of Parliament Aleixo Reginaldo Lourenco

of Curtorim, Goa introduced a bill to exempt fights between bulls,

called dhirio, from the federal Prevention of Cruelty to Animals

Act. The Supreme Court ruled in 1998 that the 1960 law forbids

dhirio, but as many as 120 illegal dhirio fights were held in 2008,

according to The Times of India.

 

 

 

 

--

Merritt Clifton

Editor, ANIMAL PEOPLE

P.O. Box 960

Clinton, WA 98236

 

Telephone: 360-579-2505

Fax: 360-579-2575

E-mail: anmlpepl

Web: www.animalpeoplenews.org

 

[ANIMAL PEOPLE is the leading independent newspaper providing

original investigative coverage of animal protection worldwide,

founded in 1992. Our readership of 30,000-plus includes the

decision-makers at more than 10,000 animal protection organizations.

We have no alignment or affiliation with any other entity. $24/year;

for free sample, send address.]