Tragedy strikes yet again…
Just a day after the authorities temporarily lifted the ban on the festival, Jallikattu’s bull-taming festival has already seen a major calamity.
Two people were brutally gored to death at the festival. Also, nearly 90 people were injured as rampaging bulls sprinted through the village of Rapoosal situated in the state of Tamil Nadu.
Jallikattu is a traditional sport where a bull is released into a crowd of people while a large amount of people attempt to grab onto the large hump of the bull with both hands, hanging on to it until the bull attempts to escape.
Animal rights activists have been protesting the practice for years, stressing on injuries it causes the animals as well as the potential human deaths. However, supporters of the festival claim it is a tradition and maintain that the animals face no cruelty.
Credits: quora.com
Back in 2014, the sport was banned on the grounds of animal cruelty. However, due to a week-long protest in support of the festival, the government passed an executive order to temporarily overturn the ban last Saturday. This lead to a series of Jallikattu events held in towns and villages across Tamil Nadu.
Although thousands of people continued their protest in hopes of a permanent ban and not just a temporary one, things got so out of control that protesters even set a police vehicle on fire, as reported by NDTV.
Here’s hoping the lovers of this festival realize the consequences…