Farmers, bull-tamers and jallikattu supporters got a respite with the Madras high court bench at Madurai on Thursday granting permission to conduct jallikattu, the ancient Tamil sport held on the eve of harvest festival Pongal in rural Tamil Nadu.
Passing the interim order, a division bench of justices Chitra Venkatraman and R. Karuppiah said since the Supreme Court, which has already been seized of the matter, had permitted the conduct of jallikattu with subject to guidelines, the court found it fit to enforce similar conditions along with the additional measures assured by the state animal husbandry department in holding the events. They passed the order after hearing the marathon arguments of the counsels of the petitioners — the state government and jallikattu organisers — challenging the Union forest ministry’s notification of bringing the bulls under the list of performing animals and seeking permission for the annual sport and the Animal Welfare Board of India and an animal welfare activist asking for a ban on jallikattu.
Allowing the sport to be conducted, the judges warned that if the guidelines were not followed, the court could reconsider its decision. They directed the authorities to submit a “performance report” after the conduct of the sport in Madurai, Sivagangai and Tiruchy to be held between January 15 and 29.