To contain Covid-19, PETA appeals to Tamil Nadu govt to cancel Jallikattu

According to PETA, at least 22 bulls and 69 humans have reportedly died, while more than 4,696 humans have been injured since the Tamil Nadu government legalised Jallikattu in 2017.

The People for Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA) has appealed to the Tamil Nadu government not to conduct Jallikattu (a bull-taming sport) in view of Covid-19 by sending a petition written by 80 doctors from across the country to chief minister M K Stalin and health minister M Subramanian.

PETA has appealed to the Tamil Nadu government not to conduct Jallikattu (a bull-taming sport) in view of Covid-19 by sending a petition written by 80 doctors. (HT FILE PHOTO.)

“Non-essential events such as Jallikattu have no place in a country battling a deadly contagious virus,” said PETA India CEO Manilal Valliyate in a statement. “PETA India is calling on officials to heed the professional opinions of these doctors and call off Jallikattu events to protect bulls from cruelty and the public from a life-threatening disease.”

According to PETA, at least 22 bulls and 69 humans have reportedly died, while more than 4,696 humans have been injured since the Tamil Nadu government legalised Jallikattu in 2017. “PETA India has documented extreme cruelty to bulls during these events, which are attended by up to thousands of people,” the animal rights organisation said. “Video footage of 2021 events show masses of unmasked people in close proximity, conditions ripe for the spread of Covid-19, particularly the easily transmissible Omicron variant.”

The letter shared by PETA is signed by doctors from across the country. “Prohibiting non-essential activities such as Jallikattu events, which lead to unnecessary mass gatherings, is essential to prevent the rapid spread of Covid-19 and to protect public health as well as to ease the pressure on health-care professionals,” said Dr Deepshikha Chandravanshi, one of the doctors who signed the letter.

Last year too, PETA had appealed to the Tamil Nadu government to ban the event but the state allowed it by imposing several Covid-19 restrictions such as a negative RT-PCR test.

Jallikattu is conducted during the Pongal festival in January in Tamil Nadu predominantly in Madurai amid huge fanfare and attendees usually include political leaders cutting across parties.