Raging Bull: How the controversy over Jallikattu ended up saving the Pulikulam breed The ban over Jallikattu and its next lifting has made breeders in Tamil Nadu more aware of protecting the livestock breed utilized in the game, the Pulikulam

Out of India’s 37 indigenous farm animals breeds, a massive number come from Tamil Nadu. These consist of the Kangeyam, Thiruchengodu, Bargur, Palamalai, Alambadi, Kollimalai, Vadakarai, Manapparai, Umbalachery, Irucchali, Pulikulam, Thambiran madu, Thenpandi, Thondainadu, Thurinjithalai and Punganur. Out of those, the Pulikulam breed, a local of the Sivagangai district, is specially used for Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu. ‘Jallikattu’, in any other case called ‘Eru Thazhuvuthal’ (Tamil for ‘Bull Embracing’) is a sport that has been performed in southern Tamil Nadu all through Thai Pongal since the Sangam Period. With the arrival of the inexperienced revolution, due to farm mechanization, using draught animals has reduced notably. According to the remaining Livestock Census of India, whilst the indigenous cattle populace has decreased appreciably, special and crossbred farm animals have accelerated. Indigenous breeds and hybrids with dominant native genes produce A2 milk, which is ideal for human health. Jallikattu is considered to be a bio-cultural game because it enables to preserve local livestock breeds. But, happily, or lamentably, the Supreme Court of India banned Jallikattu on May 7, 2014, primarily based on a plea by means of the Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) and People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals (PETA). I sense that the ban was a blessing in conceal. That is because within the beyond, whilst the event become organized without right policies, many younger guys who participated inside the bullfights had lost their lives, leaving their other halves and children widowed and orphaned. The taking part bulls had been tortured with the aid of biting their tails and fed with alcohol to cause them to more ferocious. The bull tamers have been additionally within the addiction of consuming alcohol before becoming a member of the occasion. But, the large, unheard of, and non violent protest prepared with the aid of the human beings of Tamil Nadu, called the ‘Jallikattu Uprising’ in support of Jallikattu compelled the authorities of India to clear the ordinance proposed by way of the Tamil Nadu government and a appropriate order became issued at some stage in January 2017, as an try and preserve the cultural historical past of Tamil Nadu and ensure the survival and properly-being of local breeds of bulls. After the order permitting the sport, many regulations had been imposed for the safe and clean conduct of the bullfights. Medical check-americafor each, the collaborating guys and bulls had been made obligatory, with important dos and don’ts to keep away from any untoward incidents. Otherwise, if the game is banned completely, the Pulikulam breed additionally may also vanish gradually. The Pulikulam The breed derives its call from the village from in which it originates: Pulikulam in Sivagangai district. It is stated that this village derived its name ‘Pulikulam’ (Tiger Pond) a few centuries back, due to the presence of tigers within the dense forests that used to quench their thirst in the pond. It is stated that the bulls of the village were capable of combating ferociously with tigers. It is likewise bred in Madurai, Virudhunagar, and Theni districts in Tamil Nadu. ‘Palingu maadu’, ‘Mani maadu’, ‘Jallikattu maadu’, ‘Mattu maadu’ and ‘Kilakattu maaadu’ are the alternative names of this breed. This indigenous breed is popularly used for Jallikattu. It is a drought-resistant breed and is used as a draught breed as opposed to milk manufacturing as the yield is less as compared to different breeds. It supplies appropriate manure and muscle energy for plowing the land, hence contributing to extensive natural farming. The Pulikulam’s population of round ninety,000 in 1995 has come down considerably to about sixteen,000 animals in latest years in and around Madurai district. In the past, the Yadava network made up 99 percentage of the cowherds rearing the Pulikulam, at the same time as the last 1 percentage turned into from the Mukkulathor community. But now, the fashion has modified. Many people of various groups rear this breed for the sake of Jallikattu as it's miles considered to be a prestigious recreation. In the beyond, this breed changed into maintained in the villages from October as much as the harvest season in January and then might be let loose inside the close by hills and forests for grazing. But the restrictions via the forest department for grazing and penning inside the forests led to the dwindling of their numbers. Today, these animals are penned overnight within the fields of personal individuals where their urine and dung fertilize the soil. Farmers from Kerala pay Rs 10 for a kilogram of this breed’s dung, which is used as manure for cash vegetation along with pepper and cardamom. This breed is proof against foot-and-mouth disorder, tuberculosis, and brucellosis. Generally, the adult males will be dark gray at the same time as the women will be white or grey. While the males have huge humps, the women have small ones. The bulls are very lively, strong, and swift. They are aggressive and have the electricity of endurance. The price of a 6-month-antique male calf is Rs 20,000-Rs 25,000. If a mature bull is undefeated in Jallikattu, its charge can pass up to Rs five lakh. The Breed Registration Committee (BRC) of the National Bureau of Animal Genetic Resources (NBA) underneath the manage of the Indian Council of Agricultural Research (ICAR) has permitted and registered the Pulikulam breed as an indigenous breed with the accession wide variety ’01 Pulikulam Tamil Nadu Jallikatttu activities were organized only in some locations in and round Madurai in the past. But after the ordinance permitting the event became exceeded in 2017, in lots of parts of the state, Jallikattu is now prepared grandly, with right process, upon getting due permission from the district collector worried. The mega Jallikattu prepared in Viralimalai of Pudukottai district on January 20, 2019, with 1,353 bulls and around 500 tamers, has created a international file. Though clinical facilities and emergency operation theatres were organized in advance to treat people with simple as well as grievous accidents, two persons had been gored to death. Fortunately, insurance has now been delivered no longer most effective for the tamers and the bulls however additionally for the spectators. Valuable prizes dispensed to the great bull-tamers and the proprietors of the first-rate bulls consist of cars, 10 bikes, seven hundred bicycles, gold and silver cash, and home appliances. Thus the lifting of the ban on Jallikattu, a historical game considered to be a signal of bravery in Tamil Nadu, has helped the survival and betterment of the rare Pulikulam breed.