By IANS
New Delhi : Bowing to the popular demand for jallikattu or bull-run during Pongal festivities in Tamil Nadu, the Supreme Court Tuesday temporarily allowed the state to hold the traditional sport albeit with heavy security measures.
A bench headed by Chief Justice K.G. Balakrishnan temporarily allowed the state government to permit the sport, saying the court will take a final decision on the desirability of continuing with the age-old tradition while adjudicating the petitions seeking a ban on it.
The bench, which also included Justice R.V. Raveendran and Justice J.M. Panchal, asked the state government to take a host of security and precautionary measures at the time of the event involving fight between men and bulls.
The bench said the animals must not be subjected to cruelty during the fight and the Animal Welfare Board as well as personnel from the public broadcaster Doordarshan will be present at the venues of the sporting event for videography.
The bench also asked district and police authorities to take all possible measures to prevent any injury either to animals or spectators.
It ordered erection of a double barricade around the enclosure at the venues to separate the participants from the spectators and said the participants would be dressed in uniform so that they could be readily recognised.
The bench also directed the event organisers to arrange medical care facilities, including first-aid, ambulances and physicians at the venues.
The court said any organisation or club desirous of holding jallikattu would have to inform the concerned district collector three days prior to the event.
The court said the respective collectors will have to give a report within two weeks of the event.
The court passed its order on an application moved by the Tamil Nadu government seeking modification of its Jan 11 interim order refusing to vacate the stay on holding jallikattu.
Many people and organisations in Tamil Nadu were upset with the apex court’s interim order.