Videotape bull races, say animal welfare board’s new guidelines

The guidelines are not mandatory but not following them can be construed as animal abuse and be punishable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act.

The new Jallikattu guidelines issued by the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) for this season’s bull races want the event videotaped and place restrictions on the timing of the event and the age of the bull calves associated with the controversial sport.

The bull tamer taming a bull during a Jallikattu event organised at Avaniyapuram in Madurai on Sunday. (PTI File Photo)

Races should be held between 9am and 5pm, bulls should be between the ages of three and 15 years, and all bulls, bullocks, bull owners, participants will all have to be insured, say the new guidelines, which build on those issued by the Tamil Nadu government.

The guidelines are not mandatory but not following them can be construed as animal abuse and be punishable under the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (PCA) Act. “It is a very sensitive issue, we will not tolerate violations of the (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) Act,” SP Gupta, chairperson of the AWBI, said. “At the same time, we do not want to hurt the sentiments of the people.”

The AWBI is in touch with the district administration officials and will form inspection teams that will visit the venues of every race. The teams will videotape the events and make sure the new guidelines are followed.

Activists, however, are not convinced the guidelines will help. “In 2017, 15 people and seven bulls died in so-called ‘regulated’ jallikattu events,” Nikunj Sharma, public policy lead at PETA India, said.