Traditional bull taming sport makes a comeback in Southern India

Описание: (18 Jan 2019) LEADIN:
A traditional, but controversial, bull taming sport has made a comeback in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu, despite appeals by animal rights activists who say the sport is cruel to animals and unsafe for participants.
The popular Jallikattu contest, which dates back thousands of years, involves releasing a bull from the pen into a crowd of people as the bullfighters attempt to grab its hump and ride it.
STORYLINE:
The Jallikattu contest in full swing in the southern Indian state of Tamil Nadu.
Acting on petitions by animal rights activists, India's top court banned the ritual in 2014 on grounds of animal cruelty.
Jallikattu returned to Tamil Nadu state in 2017 after tens of thousands of people protested for weeks and forced the state government to rush a new legislation exempting it from animal cruelty laws, by defining it as a traditional sport involving bulls.
Animal rights activists, including People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) India, continue to protest against the sport, saying the ritual is harmful for the bulls as they are tortured severely.
"You can see bulls being poked with sharp objects, you can see bulls being forced to have liquor, you can see people biting their tail, twisting their tail, jabbing them with sharp objects," says Nikunj Sharma from PETA.
Hundreds of bulls and bull vaulters  take part in the event, held in Allanganallur, a village in Madurai district.
Thousands of spectators watch on amid tight security.
The Jallikattu has its roots in Tamil culture and a centuries-old religious ritual.
Taking place amid a carnival-like atmosphere, the events are part rodeo and part running of the bulls.
They're held across India's Tamil Nadu state during the four-day Pongal, or winter harvest festival.
Its supporters say Jallikattu contests are a symbol of Tamil identity and cultural tradition that must be preserved.
"Jallikattu and bulls are like God to us. We treat bulls as our children in the family," says bull vaulter M. Jayakumar.
"I got injured in my thigh once and had to get 93 stitches and there are some more injuries in my back as well, but I have made sure not to harm the bulls."
Bull owner S. Selvakumar says the traditional sport "cannot be banned."
Almost 700 bulls are lined up at the venue, let loose one by one, as nearly 200 people compete to grab them by the horns and claim prize money.
Contestants are not permitted to use anything but their hands to tame the animals.
As drums beat and crowds cheer, participants leap onto the large bulls' backs and hang tightly to their humps as the animals buck and jump.
If a bull vaulter can hold on to the bull for three jumps, for 30 seconds, or for a distance of 15 meters (49 feet), they can win prizes handed out by sponsors, such as cooking pots, clothes, bicycles, motorbikes or even a car.
Authorities say all precautionary measures, including mandatory medical tests for bulls and participants as laid down by the state government, are taken before the event.
Animals need to be registered, photographed and tested by a vet before they're allowed to take part in the sport.
But the animals often gore bystanders and others while trying to escape through the crowded area.
On Thursday (17 January), at least ten people were taken to hospital with chest, abdomen and thigh injuries, none life-threatening.
Sharma says PETA believes over 30 people died and more than 30 bulls were killed in 2017 and 2018.
"Almost 3,000 humans have got injured in these games," he says.
Fans of the sport reacted angrily and claim PETA should be banned in Tamil Nadu state.

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