With the Supreme Court’s stay on Centre's notification allowing Jallikattu, the controversy over the bull-taming sport refuses to die. An irony lies in the fact that Tamil Nadu is debating the nuances of a rural sport in the backdrop of devastating floods that crippled its capital. The State's regional parties, known to confront one another on nearly every issue, have united against the ban, indicating the degree of cultural sensitivity attached to it. The BJP wanted to garner some political points in a State where its base is weak.
Convincing an elected Government against something that has popular appeal, which is the case with anything traditional, is bound to be difficult. That made the setback for animal activists painful, for it was after a two-decade struggle that they could convince the UPA Government in 2011, to include the bull among the animals banned for ‘performance’. Culture is best rooted in human values, which of late includes concern for animals, than a blind adherence to a tradition. It should certainly not glorify misplaced machismo.