India: Press statement on The Hon’ble Supreme Court’s Verdict on the use of bulls in entertainment

Not a jallikattu bull, this bull was rescued from illegal transport by Blue Cross of India.

By Dr. Nanditha Krishna

May 7th, 2014 will go down in the history of India for the landmark verdict given by the Hon’ble Supreme Court of India to ban the use of bulls for entertainment. This includes jallikattu, rekla (bullock cart) races and horse-and-bull races.

I am extremely delighted and would like to take this opportunity to congratulate each and every one who has worked for years to achieve this verdict.

I must particularly mention and thank Mr Jairam Ramesh who, as Minister for Environment and Forests, banned the use of bulls as performing animals in 2011. Subsequently, the Tamilnadu government permitted jallikattu through the Tamilnadu Jallikattu Regulation Act of 2009, while the Ministry of Environment and Forests withdrew its own Gazette notification through an affidavit to the Supreme Court this year. The Animal…