The Supreme Court bench comprising the Chief Justice TS Thakur, and Justices AK Sikri and R Banumathi, is set to hear as many as five writ petitions challenging the validity of the notification issued by the Union Ministry of Environment, Forests and Climate Change on 7 January permitting the holding of jallikattu and other related festivals involving the performance of bulls in religious festivals, despite the Supreme Court’s 2014 judgment holding it illegal.

The petitions have been filed by Compassion Unlimited Plus Action, Animal Welfare Board of India, Gauri Maulekhi, People for Ethical Treatment of Animals India, and Federation of Indian Animal Protection Organisations. A contempt petition has also been filed by one Soumya R Reddy. The petitions have been listed as Item no 27 in Court No 1.

Observers expect the bench to grant a stay ex parte, in view of the forthcoming Pongal festival in Tamil Nadu which is likely to witness the jallikattu event, if the stay is not granted. Petitioners are likely to argue that if the stay is not granted, the court will be inviting contempt of court, as the holding of the event will be a clear violation of the 2014 judgment in AWBI vs A Nagaraja.

The lead petitioner, Compassion Unlimited Plus Action (CUPA) is a public charitable trust formed with the object of promoting animal welfare, protection and provision for veterinary relief, protection of cruelty of animals and other objects, and is recognized by AWBI CUPA has pointed out that the first notification issued by the Centre on 11 July 2011, specifically including bulls in the list of animals which were not permitted to be exhibited or trained for exhibition as a performing animal, was issued after considering all the relevant information, reports and evidence provided with regard to the barbarism and infliction of unnecessary amount of pain and suffering to the bulls during these events.

CUPA further revealed that at Jallikattu events, bulls are deliberately agitated, angered and threatened before releasing them in the arena where they are to be tamed by the participants. The bulls in the arena express their panic and extreme anguish because of the torture, pain and trauma to which they are subjected, CUPA said.

“These events are conducted solely for the purpose of entertainment and have no religious significance in the local context. The manner in which the events are conducted is also not supported by any local tradition or customs”, it has emphasized.

Explaining further, CUPA’s petition says that bulls are prey animals and according to animal behavioural studies, bulls adopt a flight or fight response when they feel threatened or threatened. This instinctual response to a perceived threat is deliberately exploited by jallikattu organisers.

The petition also questioned the issuance of 7 January notification without consulting AWBI

Jallikattu re-ban: PETA vs UOI synopsis, list of dates, and writ petition

Photo by Iamkarna