S Kalimuthu, a 19-year-old youth was gored to death in the Jallikkattu event held at Palamedu in Madurai district of Tamil Nadu. Kalimuthu, a resident of Dindigul district had come to witness the traditional sporting event. The bull taming sport resulted in 25 persons getting injured. All of them have been admitted to Government Rajaji Hospital in Madurai where the condition of one person is reported to be serious.
The Animal Welfare Board of India, the body entrusted with the conducting of smooth and safe Jallikkattu event had withdrawn the observers assigned to monitor the bull taming sports. All the observers were called back from the venues before the commencement of the controversial sports which last year saw 14 persons getting gored to death by the charging bulls.
M Ravikumar, Secretary, AWBI, by an authorisation letter dated January 12, 2018 had nominated S K Mittal, Gohar Aziz, Vinod Jain and Antony Rubin to witness the Jallikkattu events to be held in Tamil Nadu during the Pongal festival till May 31, 2018. They were also asked to submit to the AWBI the cruelty perpetrated on animals together with the evidence to the Secretary, AWBI. A copy of the letter is with The Pioneer.
Most of the people who were nominated by the AWBI were called back. S K Mittal, Member and Convener of the Inspection Committee of the AWBI, refused to speak and said that only the chairman , AWBI was allowed to speak to the media. Kalimuthu is the first martyr of this year’s Jallikkaatu events which began at Avaniapuram in Madurai district on Sunday. 77 persons were injured in the Jallikkattu event held at Avaniapuram on Sunday.
Though the district administration had mobilised ambulances and medical teams to face any eventualities, it was proved once again that Jallikkattu events are dangerous not only to the players and animals but to the spectators too.