Historical Background:
Ancient India acknowledged the animals' rights, co-exist with man. Therefore they were loved, nurtured and even worshipped. The animals were given the status of Gods and Goddesses. They propagated the belief that the Almighty incarnates in different animal forms. Many festivals were observed in honour of several animals some of which are observed till today. The rulers also gave the animals key slots in art and architecture. Cattle were considered to be the most important animal for the Indians. In fact, ancient Indians did not eat cows. This was because Hindus thought of cows as sacred. But people used cows, oxen in particular to pull carts, for ploughing fields, and also used cows' milk to make yoghurt (curd) and ghee.…show more content… Every other day India wakes up to horrific stories of attacks on stray dogs. In Kerala's Ernakulum district, 24 strays, including puppies, were reportedly killed by the local Panchayat on a Sunday. Earlier, the youth wing of the Kerala Congress killed eight stray dogs, tied four of them to a pole and paraded the carcasses in Kottayam city. This was an ugly protest against the stray menace in Kerala. After considering the stray dog menace in Kerala, the Supreme Court in, Animal Welfare Board of India vs. People For Elimination of stray Troubles & Ors , observed that compassion for stray dogs cannot hold a society to ransom; there has to be a balance and a proper method for this. When one of the petitioners told the apex court that he wanted to ‘totally destroy’ stray dogs across India, the bench said: “Nobody can destroy stray dogs in entirety. They also have a right to…show more content… So it is an ancient tradition which should be preserved and not banned.
• In Jallikattu, the objective is to obtain the ‘Jallikattu’ a pouch which contains the reward coins called ‘Jalli’ tied to the horns of the bulls. While the players are not allowed to carry weapons of any kind or wear protective gears, the bulls on the other hand will not have nose rings or ropes.
• Plus, they’re equipped with a pair of sharp horns which can gore a human within seconds. So it’s actually the bull which has the upper hand in this sport.
• Jallikattu is what keeps the native breed of cattle from going extinct, according to some local people which is a huge problem for western livestock industry.
View of SC:
• Supreme Court in 2014 banned the sport Jallikattu as it violates provisions of Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (PCA) and militates the constitutional duty of treating animals with compassion, Article 51A (g).
• It also reiterated the expansive reading it had given in the past, to Article 21 (Right to Life), which prohibits any disturbance to the environment, including animals, considered essential for human