An attempt by a Minister in the Edappadi Palaniswami Government to create a world record in Jallikkattu in his home district ended up in a tragedy on Sunday as two spectators were gored to death by bulls while 40 people were injured in the melee.
The incident happened within minutes of Chief Minister Palaniswami who inaugurated the event at Viralimalai in Puthukotta district declaring that Jallikkattu was Tamil Nadu’s sport of valour.
A Ramu, a 32-year-old spectator and G Satish (35), a bull owner were gored to death. The event was organised by the controversial Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar , who hails from the district and who also owns costly bulls. It may be remembered that the home and offices of Vijaya Baskar were raided twice by the Income Tax department in the run up to the April 2017 RK Nagar by-poll and had seized unaccounted cash worth crores of rupees and incriminating documents.
“The Income Tax authorities have informed that several complaints were received recently indicating that Dr C Vijaya Baskar is the main person involved in bribing the voters in RK Nagar Assembly constituency which is going to bypolls on April 12, 2017. Some loose sheets were found with his accountant Mr Srinivasan indicating distribution of Rs 89 crore to a number of politicians for further distribution among the voters,” said the Election Commission of India order issued to announce the rescinding the bypoll in April 2017.
Vijaya Baskar announced on Sunday that the Viralimalai Jallikkattu would be a regular feature in Tamil Nadu’s sporting calendar. A record number of 1,353 bulls and 700 tamers took part in the event. More than 300 persons had been injured in various jallikkattu events which commenced after the Pongal festivities of this year.
These are the first fatalities of the 2019 Jallikkattu season which is expected to last up to September. The year 2018 saw 32 persons getting gorrrd to death by bulls (unofficial figures put that fatalities as 68 dead). More than 20 bulls got killed in last year’s event.
“Jallikkattu stands out as a symbol of Tamil’s valour. By conducting such a grand event Viralimalai has grabbed a place in the list of Jallikkattu famed places like Alanganallur, Palamedu and Avaniyapuram,” said the Chief Minister while inaugurating the event.
Antony Rubin, an animal rights activist who has been waging a legal battle against the Jallikkattu pointed out that the exact number of persons killed in bull taming event would never be known. “We saw two persons getting killed at Viralimalai. The fate of those persons who have been admitted to hospitals would never be known as these events take place in remote villages. The attenction of the media as well as the officials shift to the next location and Viralimalai id forgotten,” said Rubin.
Supreme Court is hearing a batch of petitions filed by animal rights activist pleading for a ban on Jallikkattu, which is described as sport of death. Though a division bench of the apex court had banned the event, the Tamil Nadu Government got the court order nullified by enacting a law in the Legislative Assembly in January 2017 and making the Centre promulgate an ordinance.