Update: A tradition being hundreds of years old doesn’t mean that it doesn’t suck, but this is the reason that has been used to revoke the ban on jallikattu. Although the traditional bull fight took place at various places it was held under “supervision” but we all know in India what supervision really means. While revoking the ban the court has instructed that no cruelty should be meted out to the bulls for instance chili powder should not be blown into their eyes and nobody should pull their tails. Even if these instructions are strictly adhered to we can never be too sure; they might find some new ways to torment the poor animals. I hope this tradition fades away in the coming years.
The original post: What’s so martial about scores of men taming a bull blinded by throwing chilly powder into its eyes? If you are feeling so valorous then go out and fight with the goons and the corrupt who are constantly harassing the society. Join the army. Why torment an animal just to disguise your physical and mental impotency? This is not only barbaric it is pathetically shameful and it is good that the Supreme Court has decided to ban the fight in Tamil Nadu where this dark-age cruelty has continued for the past 400 years and in the last 10 years 200 people have been gored to death by the raging bulls. But I have no sad feeling for the dead people because they died doing what they wanted to do. I definitely feel sad for the bulls who have no say in all this.
Tradition is hard to contain; people protested even when evils like Sati and child marriage were banned. Mass protest against the ruling doesn’t mean the fight should be allowed to happen.
[tags]bullfighting[/tags]
