After jallikattu amendment, PIL in Madras High Court seeks revision allowing bull sport in all months

Madurai: The Madras High Court on Thursday sought Tamil Nadu government’s response to a PIL plea for allowing conduct of ‘manjuvirattu’, a bull sport, throughout the year instead of January-May as stipulated in the relevant act.

Issuing notice to the state law department, Justices KK Sasidharan and GR Swaminathan of Madurai Bench posted the matter to 24 July for further hearing.

Petitioner A Aavudaiappan Servai of Mandhakudipatti in Sivaganga District sought a direction to the government to amend the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act 2017 to include all the months in a calendar year for organising events like ‘manjuvirattu’ instead of existing January to May.

He submitted that their village committee wanted to organise ‘manjuvirattu’ in connection with the local temple festival.

However, the district collector refused permission on the ground that the PCR Act allowed the bull sport only during the period between January and May in a calendar year.

He said ‘manjuvirattu’ was being organised in all places throughout the year.

Hence the court should direct the district collector to allow ‘manjuvirattu’ on 15 and 16 July and also ask the state government to amend the act so that it could be held throughout the year.

The state had amended the PCA Act to allow the conduct of bull taming sport ‘jallikattu’ and similar events following protests by public, including students, early this year.