Doctors Plea To Stop Jallikattu In Tamil Nadu, Amid Fears Of COVID-19
Update: 2021-12-23 10:13 IST
Allowing the sport to take place would be contrary to public health precautions, they asserted. (File)
About 80 doctors on Wednesday asked the Tamil Nadu government not to sanction the popular bull taming events this time due to concerns about COVID-19 and variants of Omicron. The year is coming to an end, paving the way for the Jallikattu traditional sport for Pongal in mid-January.
PETA (People for the Ethical Treatment of Animals) appealed to Chief Minister M K Stalin and Health and Family Welfare Minister Ma Subramanian not to allow Jallikattu events until the Coronavirus and its emerging variants are more isolated, which could result in grave health risks for the public.
The release urged the Tamil Nadu government not to allow Jallikattu events to be held in the State in 2022.
Furthermore, the Central government has raised concerns about Covid-19, delaying the full resumption of international flights until January 31 next year, according to healthcare professionals. It would be against public health precautions to allow the sport to take place, they said.
In addition to protecting public health, we also need to ease the pressure on healthcare professionals by prohibiting non-essential activities such as Jallikattu events, which lead to gatherings that are not necessary, said Dr Deepshikha Chandravanshi, one of the doctors who signed the letter.
Manilal Valliyate, PETA India CEO, said such events are not appropriate in a country suffering from a deadly virus.
ETAI is calling on officials to take heed of the professional opinion of these doctors, who advise that Jallikattu events be called off to protect bulls from cruelty and the public from life-threatening diseases, he said.
According to PETA, since the Tamil Nadu government legalized jallikattu in 2017, more than 4696 humans have been injured and at least 22 bulls have died, and 69 humans have been killed.
PETA India had documented extreme harm to the bulls while conducting these sorts of events. Moreover, these sorts of events are attended by a large chunk of people causing harm to a larger extent.
In footage from Jallikattu, participants bite their tails, pull on their nose ropes, and jab their terrified bulls with weapons, according to the release, which acknowledges that the terrified bulls slam into humans and barricades, often breaking their bones or dying.