KOZHIKODE: Taking a cue from the stand taken by the Tamil Nadu Government and the Centre in favour of jallikkattu, the kaalapoottu lovers in Malabar are all set to revive their favourite sport. After having been impeded by the ban by the Supreme Court, the traditional bull race is expected to come back to the paddy fields.
“What we demand is an amendment to the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals Act. But the ongoing protests have rekindled our hopes and we are planning to revive kaalapoottu,” says Malabar Mekhala Karshika Vinoda Committee general secretary Kolakkadan Abdul Nasar.
Despite the ban, the organisers have decided to organise a kaalapoottu event in Malappuram. If things go as expected, Karekkad in the district will host an event on January 29. The bull race at Karekkad is expected to follow a series of this kind across Malabar.
Following the order by the Supreme Court on May 7, 2014, banning the use of bulls as performing animals, the number of events in Malabar has come down to six from 30 during a season.
In 2015, cases were registered against 27 persons in Kalikavu, Kondotty and Parappanangadi for organising kaalapoottu. “The organisers are still scared of police intervention and legal problems. Only an amendment can bring back the sport in its full glory,” says Nasar.