Jallikattu - Timeline of Judgements

Jallikattu (or sallikkattu), also known as eru thazhuvuthal and manju virattu, is a traditional spectacle in which a bull is released into a crowd of people, and multiple human participants attempt to grab the large hump on the bull's back with both arms and hang on to it while the bull attempts to escape. Participants hold the hump for as long as possible, attempting to bring the bull to a stop. In some cases, participants must ride long enough to remove flags on the bull's horns.

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Origin –

•   Jallikattu is typically practised in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu (in some areas of Maharastra, Karnatka and Gujrat too) as a part of Pongal celebrations on Mattu Pongal day (the 3rd day of the four-day long event, Pongal).
•  Jallikattu was believed to be a common practice during the classical period (400-100 BC).
•   A seal from Indus Valley civilization depicting the practice is preserved in the National Museum, New Delhi.

Etymology -

Jallikattu is derived from the words ‘calli’ (coins) and ‘kattu’ (tie). Which means a bundle of coins is tied to the bull’s horns. In older times, the tamer sought to remove this bundle from the animal’s head to win gold or silver. He would be called ‘brave’ and ‘valourous’ and would also sometimes be rewarded with a bride.

The bulls are well-fed and are bred by the villagers before the event. 

What happened to the bulls after the event is over ?

• The tamed weak bulls are used for domestic activities and agriculture. While,
•   The strong ones are used for breeding.

Timeline of Judgments on Jallikattu:

1991	The Environment Ministry had banned the training and exhibition of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and dogs. This was challenged by the Indian Circus organisation in the Delhi High Court but the court upheld the notification.
2004	Animal activists, the FIAPO (Federation of India Animal Protection Agencies) and PETA India started protest against the practice.The Animal Welfare Board of India filed a case in the Supreme Court of India for an outright ban on Jallikattu because of the cruelty to animals and the threat to public safety involved. Protestors claims that Jallikattu is promoted as bull taming it exploits the bulls’ natural nervousness as prey animals by deliberately placing them in a terrifying situation in which they are forced to run away from those they perceive as predators and the practice effectively involves catching a terrified animal.
2006	The Madras High Court banned it after the death of a young spectator.
2009	Tamil Nadu Government passed Regulation of Jallikattu Act[TNRJA], 2009 giving conditional permission for holding Jallikattu between January and May of any year.
2010	(27 November 2010) Supreme Court also gave conditional permission to jallikattu under the provisions of TNRJA, for a period of five months starting from 15 January of any year. The Government of Tamil Nadu ordered that ₹2 lakh (US$3,000) be deposited by the organizers in case of an accident or injury during the event and enacted a rule to allow a team of veterinarians be present at the venue for certifying the bulls for participation in the event and to provide treatment for bulls that get injured. SC Directions : ü  Bulls must be monitored by Animal welfare board officers to ensure no steroids or performance enhancing drugs are given. ü  Only 4 men against 1 bull. ü  Don’t allow Spectators in the ring. ü  Double barricades to protect innocent bystanders. ü  Medical teams to treat the wounded men and animals.
2011	The Ministry of Environment and Forests added bulls to its 1991 notification banning the training and exhibition of bears, monkeys, tigers, panthers and dogs. (Meaning organizers cannot train bulls for Jallikattu). But the practice continued to be held under Tamil Nadu Regulation of Jallikattu Act No 27 of 2009.
2013	PETA reports that despite SC guideline and Tamilandu Act, the cruelty continues. For example, to ensure bull behaves aggressively, organizers injure its tail, put chilli powder in its eyes, they even feed desi liquor to the bull. When bull behaves violently, crowd gangs up and beats it mercilessly. PETA made documentary, and asked SC for complete ban of this festival.
2014	(7 May 2014)The Supreme Court banned Jallikattu and struck down the 2009 act.
2016	ü  Jan , 2016: The Ministry of Environment and Forests and Climate Change under Modi government amended the 2011 notification, allowing the Jallikattu and bullock cart races across Maharastra, Karnatka and Gujrat with certain conditions (this exemption is subject to the condition that bulls are treated properly and not subjected to cruelty). ü  July , 2016 : The Supreme Court, on a petition filed by Animal welfare Board and PETA, over turned the order and Banned the Sport .
2017	ü  Jan 8 2017,students and youngsters from Tamilnadu gathered at Chennai Marina and conducted a rally opposing the ban of Jallikattu. The participants walked from the lighthouse to labour statue bearing posters saying ‘save Jallikattu’. It is reported that there were 20,000 participants in the rally, which was organized by a group of non-political and youth organizations. Following the protests at Chennai, many students started rallies in various towns of Tamilnadu. ü  Jan 21 2017, Due to these protests,  the Governor of Tamil Nadu issued a new ordinance that authorized the continuation of Jallikattu events. The ordinance is a ‘State amendment’ to the Central Act – Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960). This means that in its application to Tamil Nadu, some provisions will be different from what they are for the rest of the country. PCA falls under Entry 17 (Prevention of Cruelty to Animals) in the Concurrent List of the Constitution. This means both the Centre and the States have concurrent power to enact laws on the subject. ü  Jan 23 2017, the Tamil Nadu legislature passed a bi-partisan bill, with the accent of Indian President, exempting jallikattu from the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act (1960). But Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 is not much different from the state law overturned by Supreme Court in 2009.
Conclusion : The legal situation surrounding jallikattu is as yet not clearly resolved. Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (Tamil Nadu Amendment) Act of 2017 is not much different from the state law overturned by Supreme Court in 2009. For the Supreme Court, the question of interim stay on Tamil Nadu’s Jallikattu Amendment Act is still open.

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Animals and Birds Vocabulary Part 1

Animal - A living organism which feeds on organic matter, typically having specialized sense organs and nervous system and able to respond rapidly to stimuli. They can be further classified as -
1. vertebrates
2. invertebrates
Animals with a backbone¹ are vertebrates and those without a backbone are invertebrates. Half of all described vertebrate species are fishes and three-quarters of all described invertebrate species are insects.
Vertebrates can be further classified as -
1. Amphibians – Amphibians are ectothermic², tetrapod³ vertebrates, They can live both on land and in water
2. Reptiles - Reptiles are usually tetrapod, cold-blooded vertebrates. (Vertebrates have backbones.) They have dry skin covered with scales or bony plates and usually lay soft-shelled eggs.
3. Birds – Birds are a group of endothermic⁴ vertebrates, characterised by feathers, toothless beaked jaws, the laying of hard-shelled eggs, a high metabolic rate, a four-chambered heart, and a lightweight but strong skeleton
4. Mammals – a warm-blooded vertebrate animal of a class that is distinguished by the possession of hair or fur, females that secrete milk for the nourishment of the young, and (typically) the birth of live young.

Invertebrates can be further classified as -
1. Insects
2. Crabs
3. Spiders
4. Snails
5. Worms
 
Word – Meaning
1. Backbone - the series of vertebrae extending from the skull to the pelvis; the spine.
2. Tetrapod – a four-footed animal
3. Ectothermic - any animal whose regulation of body temperature depends on external sources, such as sunlight or a heated rock surface.
4. Endothermic - arm-blooded animals; that is, those that maintain a constant body temperature independent of the environment. The endotherms primarily include the birds and mammals.

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Insects and Bugs Vocabulary

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Bugs and Insects Vocabulary With Pictures

If we study about any bug or insect we should know the term “symbiosis”. If you ever had lice or your cat or dog ever had fleas, you've witnessed symbiosis in action. Similarly most of the insects or bugs posses symbiosis. A symbiotic relationship can have a positive, negative, or neutral effect on the individual species. A symbiotic relationship possessed by any insect or bug may be of following types -

1. mutualism – When both species benefited from the interaction.
2. Parasitism – When one species is benefited and other is harmed.
3. Commensalism – When one is benefitted and other have neutral effect.

Among the bugs and insects which posses symbiosis, mostly are parasites.
Others, which don’t posses symbiosis may be eusocial,Coleoptera, Diptera, Hymenoptera or Lepidoptera.
Here is a list of more common bugs and insects which we encounter in daily life -

	Ant Ants are eusocial1 insects. It lives in nests and most varieties are harmless, although some can also bite
	Aphids Aphids, also known as plant lice. A common pest on many plants, these sap-sucking insects are often noticed feeding in clusters on new plant growth.
	Bee Bees are known for their role in pollination and for producing honey and beeswax.
	Beetle Beetles eat grubs, caterpillars, fly maggots and pupae, aphids, weevils, earthworms, snails, slugs
	Butterfly A butterfly is a mainly day-flying insect whose life cycle consists of four parts: egg, larva, pupa and adult.
	Cricket Crickets are are insects somewhat related to grasshoppers. They tend to be nocturnal
	Caterpillar Caterpillars have been called "eating machines", and eat leaves voraciously.
	Cockroach Cockroaches are insects of the order Blattodea, which also includes termites. About 30 cockroach species out of 4,600 are associated with human habitats. About four species are well known as pests.
	Dragonfly Dragonflies are valuable predators that eat mosquitoes, and other small insects like flies, bees, ants, and very rarely butterflies. They are usually found around lakes, ponds, streams and wetlands
	Flea Fleas are small flightless insects that form the order Siphonaptera. They are external parasites of warm-blooded animals, living by hematophagy off the blood of mammals and birds.
	Fly They are known for transmitting diseases.
	Grasshopper Grasshopper are winged, but their wings are not fit for flight.
	Hornet Hornets are the largest of the eusocial wasps, and are similar in appearance to their close relatives yellow jackets. Some species can reach up to 5.5 cm in length
	Ladybugs Ladybugs, also called lady beetles or ladybird beetles, are a very beneficial group. They are natural enemies of many insects, especially aphids and other sap feeders.
	Louse (plural lice) parasitic insects that live on the skin of mammals and birds.
	Mosquito The females of many species of mosquitoes are capable of drinking blood from many mammals. They are vectors for a number of infectious diseases
	Moth A moth is an insect closely related to the butterfly. Moths are nocturnal.
	Spider Spiders are found worldwide on every continent except for Antarctica. a few species of spiders are venomous and are dangerous to humans
	Termites While termites can be helpful in breaking down rotting wood in the environment, these wood-destroying insects also can cause extensive damage to homes. Sometimes called “silent destroyers”.
	Wasp or Yellow-Jacket A wasp is any insect of the order Hymenoptera and suborder Apocrita that is neither a bee nor an ant. They can be quite agressive.

1.eusocial - denoting social organisms (e.g. the honeybee) in which a single female or caste produces the offspring and non-reproductive individuals cooperate in caring for the young.

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Zootopia- Animals and Birds Vocabulary Part 2

Zootopia (Zoo + Utopia) | Utopia: An imaginary place where everything is perfect.

In my Spring holidays, I visited my grandma’s house. She used to live in a village. She took me to the farms where cattle¹ were grazing. She told me that all of them were herbivorous². She had some pets too a few among which used to be wild³ before they got adopted and became domesticated⁴. One day she decided to go to woods⁵ to collect dry wooden branches to be used for cooking. I accompanied her along with Jeremy. It’s her dog which she adopted from the local animal shelter⁶. On our way to woods, we saw many rodents⁷ and reptiles⁸. She told me that most of them are carnivorous⁹which fed on insects and smaller species while others were scavengers¹⁰and omnivores¹¹. Meanwhile, Jeremy heard a shrill voice and ran towards it. We also followed it. We assumed that there must be some mammal¹² trying to save itself from a predator¹³. But on reaching there we found that it was an injured cock counting its lasts. The cock was possibly been used in blood sports¹⁴. We immediately took it with us at home and called a local animal rights activist¹⁵. The activist told us that there is a local gang of poachers¹⁶which is involved in all such illegal activities including fur trade¹⁷, ivory trade¹⁸, and taxidermy¹⁹. We lodged a complaint against them at a local police station. The police investigated and rescued 70 pigs, 35 parrots of rare species, and 120 sheep. The pigs were then sent to the national game reserve²⁰ and parrots were to the state bird sanctuary²². While the sheep were set free to live in their natural habitat²³. Later on, we visited the activist’s home to take whereabouts of the cock.Where Jeremy became fierce²⁴ and savage²⁵ on seeing a Cat which drew my attention. She was very tame²⁶ and docile²⁷. Having seen my interest in it, the Activist offered me to adopt it. I took it with me and we lived happily after that.

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Words With Meanings:

1. cattle – domesticated animals such as cow and buffalo.
2. herbivores – Animals that feeds on vegetation only.
3. wild – the opposite of domesticated.
4. domesticated – lives with or used by humans.
5. woods – forest
6. animal shelter – where homeless animals are provided with food and place.
7. rodents –  rat /squirrel like
8. reptiles – snake/ lizard-like
9. carnivorous – animals that eat meat (e.g. Tiger and Lion )
10. scavengers – animals that eat dead and decaying substances.
11. omnivorous – animals that eat both vegetation and meat.
12. mammal – animals that give birth to babies and fed them on their milk.
13. predator – animals that hunts/prey other animals for food.
14. blood sports – sports in which animals got injured or killed.
15. animal right activist – people who actively campaign for the protection and rights of animals.
16. poachers – people who hunt animals illegally.
17. fur trade – hunting and selling animals furs for coats, jackets etc.
18. ivory trade – hunting and selling of elephant’s tusks for ivory
19. taxidermy – hunting and selling of animal’s skin for belts, purses etc.
20. game reserve – (game park) areas of land where hunting is prohibited.
21. bird sanctuary – protected area where birds can live and breed.
22. natural habitat – preferred natural place to live and breed.
23. fierce – behaving aggressively.
24. savage – violent or wild.
25. tame – not afraid of humans.
26. docile – behaving gently.

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Additional InformationMouse Vs Rat

• Mouse – a rodent of the size of a sparrow.
• Rat – A mouse of bigger size.

Turtle Vs Tortoise

• Turtle – it lives most of the time in the water.
• Tortoise – it spends most of the time on land.

Marine Vs Aquatic

• Marine – animals that live in sea water.
• Aquatic – animals that live in fresh water.

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