'Jallikattu League' in Tamil Nadu Hits Hurdle With Govt Yet to Give Approval

Chennai: A ‘Jallikattu league’ in Tamil Nadu was all set to kick off here on January 7 but the event has hit a hurdle with the state government still not granting approval for the event.

A source from the state government told CNN-News18 that the main reason for the holdup is that it is surprised that the event is in a league format.

The government doesn't want a traditional sport to be played in an IPL-like-format. Nor does it want to encourage the ranking of the bulls and players, the source added.

The source further said that the initial venue the organisers chose was not in compliance with the Supreme Court guidelines.

An organiser of the event, on condition of anonymity, said they are confident that an approval from the state government for the event will come in a day or two.

"We never called it a league. The media made the Jallikattu event a league-like format. The state government was also worried about corporates sponsoring the event. We had no intentions to commercialise the event. We wanted to clear the doubts of people who said the bull-taming sport is a form of animal cruelty," he said.

The organisers have chosen another location at MARG Swarnaboomi on the East Coast Road. The location for the event initially was a place opposite the Madras Crocodile bank on the ECR.

From questions over adherence to a Supreme Court ruling over conduct of the game to stiff opposition to corporatisation of the traditional sport, the organisers are waging a multi-fronted battle to get the event going. They may now have to shift the venue to a far-flung location.

The initial idea was to have teams from Chennai, Coimbatore and Madurai participate in the event.

In January 2018, massive protests broke out at Marina Beach where protesters urged both the state government and the Centre to repeal the ban on Jallikattu. Following unrelenting protest, the then chief minister O Panneerselvam issued an ordinance that amended the Prevention of cruelty to animals act. This was later introduced as a bill in the State Assembly and was unanimously passed. However, the case is still pending in the Supreme Court.