BENGALURU: With protests against the ban on Jallikattu in Tamil Nadu spreading to even parts of Karnataka, spiritual leader Sri Sri Ravi Shankar has come out in support of the folk sport.
In a statement, the Art of Living guru said the sport was neither meant to be cruel to animals nor cause injuries to people. "In the Kumbh Mela, we have lost so many lives, many die in train accidents. If people die on the roads we cannot ban vehicles. If you want to ban this, then what about horses which are tamed for horse riding? The same could also be called cruelty," he said.
Ravi Shankar said Jallikattu has helped Tamil Nadu farmers in preserving native breeds of cattle which are endangered elsewhere in the country. "If we want to genuinely show our love for animals, let us focus on banning slaughterhouses, which are endangering the indigenous breeds of animals. In Odisha, 15 local breeds have gone extinct. Tamil Nadu has managed to preserve these native breeds and Jallikattu is one of the reasons why they have been able to do so." he wrote.
At the same time, the Art of Living spiritual leader appealed to the Jallikattu protesters not to allow anti-social elements to hijack the movement. Batting for the Central government, he said some people have a misconception that the Marina beach protests in support of Jallikattu are a doing of the government. "Let an appeal be made in court. We still have one year. I hope that Jallikatu will be back by next Pongal," he wrote.