Saturday, January 21, 2017

India overturns bull-wrestling ban in response to massive protests...

A popular bull-wresting festival in India's Tamil Nadu state is to go ahead after the state and central government moved to temporarily overturn a ban on it.

People in Tamil Nadu have been bull-wresting for centuries as part of their culture and traditions surrounding the Pongal harvest festival, which was held last week.

India's Supreme Court banned the sport known as "Jallikattu" in 2014 in response to a petition by animal rights activists, who argue the practice of giving the animals alcohol and throwing chili powder in their eyes amounted to animal cruelty.

During the festival bulls charge down the road and are let into an open field, where young men try to subdue the bulls by grabbing them by the back or horns. The bull owners say the animals are treated well.

Anger over the three-year ban boiled over this week after several hundred people in Tamil Nadu were arrested for defying the law. In response, tens of thousands of people have been protesting in the state capital Chennai and other cities over the past week to demand the ban be lifted. The protests shut down transport, schools and and businesses. A number of prominent celebrities also threw their support behind the protestors. Full story...

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