Supreme Court upholds Tamil Nadu law allowing jallikattu

Tags: National National News

The Supreme Court on May 18 upheld the validity of a Tamil Nadu law that allowed Jallikattu, a bull-fighting sport.

An overview of the news 

• The Supreme Court has upheld the constitutional validity of the amendment made by the Tamil Nadu government to the Central Cruelty to Animals Act, 1960.

About Supreme Court’s Judgement

• In a unanimous judgement, a five-judge Constitution bench headed by Justice KM Joseph noted that the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017, the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Maharashtra Amendment) Act, 2017 and the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Amendment) Act, 2017 The Prevention of Cruelty to Persons (Karnataka Second Amendment) Act, 2017 was enacted by the respective state legislatures and received the assent of the President.

• The SC held that these rules by the states did not violate the Constitution and the Supreme Court's 2014 judgment banning Jallikattu.

About Jallikattu

• Jallikattu is a traditional sport especially popular in Tamil Nadu.

• In this sport, a wild bull is released into a crowd of people, and the participants try to catch the bull's hump and ride it for as long as possible or try to bring it under control.

• It is celebrated every year during the Tamil harvest festival, Pongal, in the month of January.

• The state government argues that instead of banning this age-old practice, it can be regulated and reformed.