Tame, not lame

Context:

• A five-member Constitution Bench of the Supreme Court reserved its verdict on a batch of pleas challenging the Tamil Nadu law allowing jallikattu.

Challenging the validity of the Law:

• Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act, 2017: The judgement has avoided the existing legislation considering cruelty against animals, i.e. Bulls in the event.
• Interpretation of the act: The framers of the 2017 law defined jallikattu as “an event involving bulls conducted with a view to follow tradition and culture”.
• Preserving cultural right vs. Cruelty against animals: As per under Article 29 (1), jallikattu should be granted constitutional protection as a collective cultural right or ‘perpetuate cruelty to animals’ or were a means to ensure “the survival and well-being of the native breeds of bulls”.