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Tamil nadu -#jallikattu

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MILK IN INDIA, is not just a drink, it is an elixir. For almost every Indian — rich or poor — the idea of a daily glass of milk holds a potent and emotional charge. It speaks of parental devotion, well-being and health. This faith in the power of milk is well-grounded: it is the primary nutrient for the young and the old. Nearly 63 percent of animal protein in the Indian diet comes from dairy products. For vegetarians, there is simply no alternative.

The idea of the cow, of course, is also emotively charged because of its mythical place in Hindu iconography, religion and culture: it is quite literally worshipped as goddess Kamdhenu: the cow of plenty. Premchand famously captured its centrality to Indian village life with his memorable tableau of grazing herds returning home at dusk in a cloud of dust, creating the magic hour of “godhuli”.

Again, this veneration is founded in hard pragmatics. Traditionally, India has been home to some of the most varied stock of cows in the world: the red-skinned Sahiwal that milks through droughts, the mighty Amrit Mahal with swords for horns or the tiny Vechur that stands no taller than a dog. Different breeds to suit different climatic conditions. These cows have been the most crucial backbone of India’s rural economy. Low on maintenance costs, their milk yield has not only been a succor and source of nutrition for otherwise impoverished families, their surplus has been sold by small farmers to State-run cooperatives and private companies, which further package and sell them to urban households under brands such as Amul, Vijaya, Verka, Saras, Nestle and Britannia.

The importance of cows to India’s economy, therefore, just cannot be overestimated. India is the world’s largest producer of milk. A whopping 68 percent of these milch animals are owned by small and landless farmers; their produce is distributed through over one lakh village milk cooperatives, which have more than 1.1 crore members. These arteries interconnect every strata of the country. In fact, milk is a bigger driving force for India’s agro-economy than paddy, wheat or sugar.

But in a mere 10 years, all of this could disappear. India is at the precipice of a disaster that no one seems to be trying to avert. In the run up to India’s 66th Republic Day, here’s a really sobering thought: the indigenous Indian cow — one of the country’s biggest assets — will soon cease to exist and we will be forced to import milk within a decade. This is going to have catastrophic and unimagined impact on lakhs of people.

Predictably, an almost criminal lack of government planning and foresight is responsible for this. India does possess the world’s biggest cattle herd, but typically, the individual yield of these malnourished cows is very low. Merely helping small farmers increase their cows’ food and water intake could have had miraculous results. (Indian cows, for instance, are doing really well in Brazil. In 2011, a pure Gir named Quimbanda Cal broke its own 2010 record of delivering 10,230 kilolitres of milk a year, with a daily yield of 56.17 kilolitres.) But instead of focussing on — and improving — the reasons why the yield of these cows was low in India, the government in the 1960s started crossbreeding Indian cows with imported bulls and semen.


Red Sindhi
AVERAGE YIELD 6 kg | POTENTIAL 25 kg
As much valued as Sahiwals for their milking prowess, this breed is slightly smaller and belongs to Sindh, now in Pakistan, Photo: Courtesy NBAGR

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Sahiwal
AVERAGE YIELD 7 kg | POTENTIAL 25-30 kg
The best dairy breed of the subcontinent belonged to undivided Punjab. Post-Partition, much of its home tract belonged to Pakistan and the numbers have rapidly dwindled in India, Photo: Courtesy NBAGR

This practice was followed more indiscriminately with every passing decade. Over time, it’s triggered a two-pronged crisis. On the one hand, it has set off a systemic destruction of the indigenous Indian cow, which includes precious breeds developed over a millennium. On the other hand, the new exotic crossbreeds have not adapted to Indian conditions yet. In theory, these crossbreeds are capable of very high milk yields, but their capacity suffers drastically as the cows are very vulnerable to tropical weather and diseases. Unlike the indigenous cow, they also need to be kept in very high-cost, air-cooled, all-weather shelters, and require expensive stall feeding and medical care.

Clearly, the small farmer is not equipped to bear these costs of rearing exotic crossbreeds. But because of official negligence, the low-maintenance, weather-resistant local breeds are continuing to deteriorate. Rearing cattle, therefore, is fast becoming unviable for small farmers. Lakhs of them are facing a loss of livelihood; soon their families will not have access to their basic daily glass of milk — unless they can afford to buy it from big dairies with deep pockets.

But the brewing crisis does not end there. The obliteration of the desi cow will impact urban consumers too. In the next 10 years, as the new order of industrial dairy production begins to dominate, from being self-sufficient, India will not only have to import a large percentage of its milk demand, but will also become heavily dependent on importing everything from exotic semen to cattle feed for the exotic crossbreeds reared within the country. By controlling these key inputs, foreign markets will eventually decide the price we pay for exotic milk. Incidentally, unlike the milk from desi breeds, this milk is unsuitable for those susceptible to diabetes and cardiovascular problems.

The advantages of the exotic crossbreeds are also extremely shortlived: their yield may be higher in the short term but they also run dry much quicker. Even exotic bulls are not nearly as hardy as the desi ones. This is triggering a separate crisis. Millions of these crossbreeds are being abandoned by owners the moment they run dry as they cannot afford their high-nutrition diet and costly healthcare. Not only are feral cattle a civic nuisance, supporting these unproductive animals is stretching the country’s already limited resources. According to a recent survey by the Punjab Gausewa Board (PGB), 80 percent of the state’s nearly one lakh stray cattle are exotic crossbreeds. Alarmed, the PGB Chairman Kimti Bhagat is leading an agitation against the state’s pro-exotic policy.

Finally, as the gene pool of the indigenous Indian cow is allowed to fade away, if some epidemic triggers a population slide in our cattle — already made vulnerable by its high percentage of exotic strains — there will be no scope for corrective intervention.

So here we are, heading with suicidal speed towards jeopardising our food security, ruining the backbone of our agro-economy and handing the control of our dairy industry to foreign markets. There are many reasons why India is poised on the edge of this disaster: each of them reads like a novella of frustration.


http://www.tehelka.com/2013/01/the-desi-cow-almost-extinct/#.WICOGD1Af5k.twitter
This is just one example, don't think Indian elite or the governments will ever understand the effects of such slow yet effective irreversible things occuring daily.
 
No, I am sure those people who are accusing like these have never seen a Jallikattu. The rules of the sport is the player can only touch the hump or horns of the bull and will get disqualified even if he touches its tail.

It is being held in front of collector and other government officials and everyone says what PETA says is completely against the truth. They are showing a video as evidence, which is most likely a paid video.
 
No, I am sure those people who are accusing like these have never seen a Jallikattu. The rules of the sport is the player can only touch the hump or horns of the bull and will get disqualified even if he touches its tail.

It is being held in front of collector and other government officials and everyone says what PETA says is completely against the truth. They are showing a video as evidence, which is most likely a paid video.

There are far worse forms of animal abuse.. I dunno why both sides of the argument have to blow this out of proportion
 
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Police helping protesters

There are far worse forms of animal abuse.. I dunno why both sides of the argument have to blow this out of proportion

this Jallikattu case is going on for 14 years
Lot of Bags exchanged between peoples

Srikkanth Speaking



Happy News Guys

Jallikattu is just starting Point.
No political party involved in this Protest.
No Cast involved in this protest
No Cine fans involved in this protest
No religion involved in this protest
No property was damaged in this protest
No one Killed in this protest
No leader in this protest
 
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Same way Judge is asking as to play Jallikattu in mobile. Seems like everybody played today

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Don't drag entire south into it..You Tamilians always put your identity above Indian..Rest of south is very different..We don't have any problem with India..I was an Indian..I am an Indian and always will be Indian..I don't have anything to do with this Dravidian bull shit.

What is jallikutta?
Jallikutta?Hahaha..?It's jallli kattu man.
 
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"Jalli Kattu is not a fight between bulls and humans.

Its a game where players the players are required to embrace the running bulls by hanging on their hump as far as possible.

In no case is the bull injured or killed later on, in sharp contrast to the Spanish bull fight where the players insert a sword into the spine of the bull and inflict a slow and painful death."

There are lot of rules associated with this sport.

  1. The Bull will be released on the the arena through the entry gate called ‘ Vadi Vaasal’.
  2. The bull tamer / contestant should try to ‘catch’ the bull by holding onto its hump only.
  3. The bull-tamer should hold onto the bull till it crosses the ‘finish’ line. (Usually it is about 50 feet, marked by hanging overhead marker flags along the line.)
  4. If the bull throws the tamer off before the line or if no-one manages to hold on to the bull, then the bull will be declared victorious.
  5. If the bull-tamer manages to hold on to the hump till it crosses the ‘finish line’, then the bull tamer is declared the winner.
  6. Only one bull tamer should hold on to the bull at one time. If more than one bull tamers hold on to the bull, then there is no winner.
  7. The bull tamer should ONLY hold on to the hump. He should NOT hold on to the neck or horns or tails of the bull. Such tamers will be disqualifies.
  8. No bull tamer will hit or hurt the bull in any manner.
Jalli kattu is NOT Bullfight! PETA and animal activists should stop equating Jalli kattu to Bullfights ! Bulls are NOT killed or tortured during Jalli kattu in Tamilnadu.

Jalli kattu, cannot even be equated or compared with the camel races of the gulf world or even the horse races that happen all over the world. In both these cases the animals will be beaten to run fast.

But, In Jalli Kattu hurting a bull either by the owner or the player is a serious fault, which leads to disqualification.

People may question, How are these bulls so ferocious, without any external stimulus like alcohol/hurting?

We must understand that not all bulls are suitable for this sport. Few indigenous breeds which are known for their strength and ferocious nature are only used in this sport.

FYI : We had a Jalli Kattu bull in our home. No one except very few would dare to go near the bull even on normal days and when it is died.

It is same as the difference between Pomeranian and Rottweiler.

But, then if you ask me if it is 100% cruelty free ? My answer is "No".

There are always some one who break the rules. Most of the cases, it will be the jockeys , who use alcohol and etc to over agitate the bull. But, that is not the norm.

In most cases of cruelty, the owner wont even know the cruelties being done to the bulls by their jockeys. Most owners treat bulls as their own children.

I as a kid innocently believed that my house bull is my elder brother. We wont even call them as bulls. We call them by names. Wont we feel proud if our son.brother wins a Silambam or Karate tournament.

It is the same feel we have over our bulls.

But, these PETA and the activists who are misguided by the media posts jump to ban the whole event, citing some odd cases. I request them to try to understand the reality.

An age old tradition cannot be banned citing some odd cases. Steps must be taken to enforce strict rules and regulate the event. With over 4000 years of recorded history, it is one of the oldest sport in the world!

‘Jalli kattu’ is a rare sport that has been continuously played for thousands of years. A seal made of stone found at Mohenjodaro, depicts “Jalli kattu” that was prevalent in the Indus Civilization. The seal, about 4,000 years old, is on display at the National Museum, New Delhi. The Sport has become an intrinsic part of the Tamil culture that it has broken all religious and caste barriers. People of all religions, caste and creed participate in this sport. The sport is usually held once a year in a village to celebrate a local temple.

Jalli kattu is not just a sport! It is inter-twined in the Tamil rural eco-system in many ways than what meets the eye.

The honor of the family bull participating in a Jalli kattu is the sole reason for the bull not being sent to the slaughter-house ! Since only local breed of bulls are best suited for the sport, villagers rear bulls of local breeds specifically suited for the purpose. Every village temple selects a bull as its official ‘Temple Bull’. The temple bull is essentially the common village stud bull, fed and sponsored/reared by the whole village. It is allowed to roam free in the village. The temple bull is changed every three years to avoid in-breeding! During Jalli kattu the temple bull is given the honor of entering the arena first and, by convention, nobody embraces it.

Myths & Facts

Myths

* Bulls are abused

* Bulls are fed performance enhancers or liquor

* Bulls are ferocious and many people die

* Bulls are beaten to enter into the arena

Facts

* Tamilnadu Government has set very stringent rules and regulations

* Government Veterinarian tests and certifies the bull before and AFTER the event

* All events are video-recorded

* Bulls are not beaten to enter the arena! They are trained to go to the keeper. Watch the keeper go beyond the 50-feet marker and wave his towel or whistle to let the bull know where he is!

* Not a single sportsman has died since the introduction of the Tamilnadu Jalli kattu Act

I agree that, some odd cases are there but, they are not the norm. They must be punished and banned, not the entire event.

Animal Rights Activists Got it Wrong ! Not to blame them. It is the media hype.

It is very unfortunate that some animal rights activists equate Jalli kattu with bull fights of Spain, Portugal, Argentina etc. where, the bull is teased, tortured and killed! Whereas Jalli kattu honors the bull! The bull is not abused in any manner. Government veterinarians certify the bull before and after the event!

The Animal Rights Activists do not consider the contribution of Jalli kattu to the rural economy. They do not seem to understand the sport’s contribution to the rural ecology and family structure. Jalli kattu saves the bulls from the slaughterhouses!

Jalli kattu Needs Your Support !

Your Support to save the sport will save our native cattle breeds which are almost extinct, encourage more rearing of local cattle, give boost to rural economy and retain our rural labor force. Apart from that it is distinct part of our culture.

SIGNIFICANCE OF JALLI KATTU

1) The religious, social, and cultural festival of Jallikattu was followed for thousands of years throughout Tamil Nadu.

2) Jallikattu is a socio-religious festival, and not entertainment, though it has come to be seen as an entertainment sport by urban people who have started witnessing the event in recent years due to exposure by the media. But it is essentially a religious tradition. The Tamil people conduct this festival as an offering / commitment to their grama devata; they believe that conducting this festival brings a good harvest and negates bad omens.

3) In Alanganallur, Jallikattu is conducted for the Muniyandi and the first bull which runs off in the arena is the divine bull (dedicated to the temple) which no player touches. Only subsequent bulls can be embraced by the players. This native tradition has been converted into a tourist sport only by the Tamil Nadu Government, just as it converted every temple into a tourist spot. This has led to the urban (mis)perception of Jallikattu as some kind of entertainment sport, but Tamil society is in no way responsible for this.

4) The Madurai Nayaks, who started ruling Madurai independently, elevated Jallikattu into a martial sport to boost the bravery of its army men. They announced a price tag (hence the name Jallikattu). Their army was made up of pastoral communities who had a natural affinity to this bull festival. Brave men who successfully embraced the bull were appointed army chiefs. Even today, many Jallikattu players are police men.

5) Semi-domesticated cattle include cows and bulls reared by pastoral communities as herds. These cows are always mobile, grazing on pastoral lands and travel over a long area. The pastoral community looking after these cows lives a nomadic life and moves along with the animals. Fully domesticated cattle are reared by the farming community. These cows and bulls are not allowed to roam freely as they would graze on farm crops, but are fed with fodder by the farmers.

6) Jallikattu is conducted predominantly by the pastoral communities. Since the bulls in their herds are untied and roam freely, they have to tame the bulls whenever they go out of control. The Konar community has the tradition of marrying daughters to youth who successfully control the bull (part of their occupational requirement). It is they who conduct this festival every year in their respective villages.

7) Tamil literature contains references to Krishna taming seven bulls to marry Nappinnai, a Konar bride. Indeed, Tamil literature has many references to the Konar (also called Idaiyar, or Aayar) and their bull festival, “Yeru Thaluvuthal” (bull embracing). All these qualify the bull festival to be recognised as a bio-cultural community protocol as defined by the United Nations’ Bio-Cultural Community Protocols.

8) If cattle could talk, almost all of them would say, “I want to be a jallikattu bull instead of hauling load all over town as a bullock”. The amount of care the owners give to these bulls need to be seen. These bulls do almost no work, they get fed the best food and typically loiter all over the village. Almost everyone leaves them alone, because they know this is a bad un with a foul temper. As they acquire reputation every Pongal, they become highly sought after for stud services. This process is iterated over the years and thereby enhances the genetics of the livestock.

9) High breed cattle cannot be used for this sport. Only indigenous breeds are suitable for this sport. Hence, this sport plays an important role in protection and breeding of indigenous cattle varieties.

10) We dont have many of these valour sports in India. A well organized and regulated event will draw thousands of foreign tourists to southern Tamilnadu in the pleasant month of January. The prizes to the winning youth will increase from pots and pans to cash, bikes, and even cars. The winning bulls can also make the bull owners rich and feed into a positive economic cycle enhancing the entire livestock. Why would we Indians want to let go of a treasure like this ?

Please Support Jalli Kattu. It needs all your support.


Some info ^^
 
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para Olympics Tamil gold medal winner returns his medal
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