A group of people have unfortunately misunderstood the issues of livestock keeping and have sought a ban on Jallikattu. it is a 5000 year old bio cultural sport which if banned will lead to the extinction of the breeds and thereby the livelihoods of millions of livestock keepers. while this group is harping on banning the sport what they fail to understand is that they are infringing on the fundamental right to the livelihood of breed The sport of Jalli Kattu (Bull vaulting) part of the annual Pongal (harvest festival) of Tamil Nadu is a celebration of livestock, the farmers’ main support system. There are a number of indigenous breeds like Puliakulam, Malai Maadu, Umbalachery, Kangayam, Alambadi and Barugur bulls which are fast disappearing. The bull-vaulters are mostly farmhands, in peak physical condition and with electric swift reflexes. Jalli Kattu is a celebration of such Indian breeds of cattle.

 

Jalli Kattu is symbolic of the intimate bond between cattle and agriculturalists. The fourth day of the Pongal festival is geared towards livestock. The animals are bathed, scrubbed and their horns painted. The sport consists of holding on to the hump of the bull and running along with it for a given distance usually about 20-30 meters which is covered in barely 10-20 seconds.  The main rules of Jalli Kattu is that even one drop of the blood of the ox cannot be spilt which is strictly followed by the organizers.

 

Ancient Heritage-our culture

Jalli Kattu is an ancient sport. The seals of the Indus Valley Civilization depict this sport which is proof that this sport was in vogue 5000 years ago. Standard texts on Indus civilization provide this information. Ancient Tamil poetry, known as Sangam literature (2nd BCE – 2nd CE), has many detailed references to this sport. It was called Eru Thazhuvuthal (hugging the bull). See Kalithokai, Sangam Literature. In an ancient Tamil text called Tirukkural, education is considered to be wealth and the word used for wealth is Madu, meaning cattle. So it has a socio-cultural connotation which denotes lives and livestock having co-existed and cultures having coined usages around them.

 

Biological Conventions

According to principles 1, 2 & 3 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to which India is a signatory states, Livestock Keepers are creators of breeds and custodians of animal genetic resources for food and agriculture.

 

Our Appeal

India is a signatory to Convention on Biological Diversity

 It is customary that these ancient traditional practices are left as they are but with rules to organize them.

 

If this sport is banned, livestock keepers will be forced to abandon the raising of native livestock, which already stand threatened due to extensive use of motor pumps, tractors and mechanized agriculture. If the sport is banned it would be a death knell on the native species. There are many such intangible threats that dictate the continuation of the livestock.

 

People who want a ban on this are unfortunately far removed from village life and do not know how this chain works. They are rather not only cut off from these realities but also see this event in isolation from the chain. It is imperative to educate them to understand the significance.

 

It is in our sincere attempt to save the traditional breeds from disappearing, we appeal to you to kindly consider our request to not ban the event and allow this traditional practice.

 

Annexure  1/2

 

What is Jalli Kattu?

The term Jalli Kattu means tying the coin. In the olden days a gold coin, wrapped in a piece of cloth was tied to the horns and the tackler, hung on to the hump of the bull and untied the knot to get at the prize. Now a token cloth is tied in the horns which the tackler collects as a trophy. The focal point of the event is vaadivasal, the entrance. The bulls are let through this entrance, into the track, where the bull-vaulters wait. The track is usually the main street of the village, with the side lanes blocked. The event begins with the visit of village elders, led by a band drummer, to the temple of the village deity. It is part of the culture of Village deities of Tamil Nadu which does not have a priestly class and is egalitarian. Today, highly educated modern youngsters from these villages are involved in the sport.

Indispensability of Native Breeds- Cattle as Wealth

Native cattle have evolved over millennia adapting to the local environmental conditions. They are an integral part of farming especially for small and marginal farmers as they serve multiple purposes like ploughing, transportation, source for farmyard manure, organic treatments like Panchagavya, Jeevamritham, and source of A2 milk. The native cattle are both an input as well as insurance to the livestock keepers. In ancient Tamil and Sanskrit literature cattle is considered as wealth. Cattle was measured as a unit of wealth. In an ancient Tamil text called Tirukkural, education is considered to be wealth and the word used for wealth is Madu, meaning cattle. So it has a socio-cultural connotation which denotes lives and livestock having co-existed and cultures having coined usages around them.

 

 

Biological Conventions-legal aspects:

According to principles 1, 2 & 3 of the Convention on Biological Diversity (CBD) to which India is a signatory, states the rights of a livestock keeper.

For eg., Article 8 (j) of the CBD:

“Contracting parties shall…subject to national legislation, respect, preserve and maintain knowledge innovations and practices of indigenous and local communities embodying traditional lifestyles relevant for the conservation and sustainable use of biological diversity…“ saviors.