With the stage set for the first jallikattu event on Pongal day at Avaniyapuram in Madurai, it seems to be heading for a lacklustre start this time.
Chennai:
While on the one hand, tamers are reluctant to participate as they remain sceptical about the prizes offered, others say simultaneous registration of bull tamers remains a big cause for concern as such a practice hardly lets them register their names for participation in all three major venues - Avaniyapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur.
With 640 stitches on his body, P Ranjith alias ‘Mudakathan Ranjith’, a software engineer, has been taming bulls since he was 18. He reiterated that simultaneous registrations were a disappointment.
Since tamers have to wait in long queues, they run out of time to make it to other venues. Hence, they have asked the District Administration to introduce spot registration on the scheduled days at each of the venues, he said. “I am not interested in the prizes since there is a lot of bias in the games. Jallikattu is not just a sport for receiving prizes, but a badge of honour for tamers excelling in the sport,” Ranjith added. In those days, white dhoti and towel were priceless gift for the best tamer. A total of 641 bulls and 596 bull tamers have been registered at Avaniyapuram.
With the intervention of the High Court, which formed a committee led by Retired Justice C Raghavan to organise the events in Avaniyapuram this year to allay simmering discontent, tamers have been questioning the legal team’s intervention in organising jallikattu. Unlike previous years, bull tamers were brought under insurance cover at the initiative of the District Administration. As many as 500 tamers were covered under the PMSBY scheme, which is an accidental death and disability insurance scheme, at Avaniyapuram, sources said.
Another bull tamer, K Senthil Kumar, who filled in required details on his application form for the medical insurance scheme, raised doubts if the same was applicable only for this year. He said he was looking forward to the grand jallikattu being organised by Health Minister C Vijaya Baskar with registration of 2029 bulls at Viralimala.
SK Mittal, convener of Animal Welfare Board of India (AWBI) along with Madurai Collector S Natarajan inspected jallikattu arrangements at Avaniyapuram, Palamedu and Alanganallur.
According to Regional Joint Director of Animal Husbandry, R Rajasekaran, 975 bulls in Palamedu and 1,400 bulls in Alanganallur had been registered. Twelve veterinary teams each comprising 10 people, two mobile veterinary dispensaries and emergency ambulance vans would be manned in Palamedu and Alanganallur. At Avaniyapuram, 12 such teams comprising six persons each, two mobile units and two emergency vans would be kept ready, he said.
Madurai Deputy Director of Health, KV Arjun said 843 tamers in Palamedu and 772 tamers in Alanganallur had enrolled. Ten medical teams, each comprising a doctor, health inspector and staff nurse and four mobile units had been deputed at these two venues. Besides, four to five emergency vans would be kept ready, he added.
EPS may inaugurate Alanganallur jallikattu
Deputy Chief Minister O Panneerselvam told reporters in Madurai on Monday that Chief Minister Edappadi K Palaniswami may the jallikattu in Alanganallur. He also spoke about the Kodanad case, saying that all allegations linking Palaniswami to the case were baseless and sans evidence. “It is a conspiracy. The party would face such charges legally. Those who could not challenge the AIADMK politically, are now doing so with this case to poison the people’s minds, he said. Be it Lok Sabha polls or local body election, the AIADMK would emerge victorious, he added.
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